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You are in: Staying Healthy > Self Care > Health Professionals
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Patient Relations 0800 06 88 000 |
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Patient Choice 01423 876420 |
Staying Healthy
Self Care
Health Professionals
General information on self care, evaluation and supporting documentation (see key documents).
Please also see the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease factsheet for information on self care for COPD.
NHS Improvement have published 'Accurate diagnosis for suspected COPD'. This document covers diagnosis, tests and assessment of severity and impact.
Department of Health – Long Term Conditions Policy and guidance on long term conditions.
The Stroke: Act F.A.S.T. awareness campaign aims to educate healthcare professionals and the public on the signs of stroke and that prompt emergency treatment can reduce the risk of death and disability. It encourages people to recognise the signs of stroke and feel confident to phone 999 for an ambulance on detecting any single one of them. Emergency action is as important for TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack) or 'mini-strokes'.
Health care professionals can order Stroke Act F.A.S.T support materials online from the Department of Health publications orderline or by telephone 0300 123 1002.
This is a new resource and networking organisation for everyone with a professional interest in self-care. The site provides fast access to information and resources on self-care.
There is growing evidence to show that supporting self care leads to:
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Improved health and quality of life
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Rise in patient satisfaction
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Significant impact on the use of services, with fewer primary care consultations, reduction in visits to out-patents and A&E, and decrease in use of hospital resources.
Impact on patients
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Better symptom management, including a reduction in pain, anxiety, depression and tiredness
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Improved feeling of well being
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Increase in life expectancy
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Improved quality of life with greater independence
Impact on care services
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Visits to GP’s can decrease by 40%
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Outpatient visits can reduce by 17%
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A&E visits can reduce by up to 50%
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Hospital admissions can be halved.
There are four main areas that support self care:
| 1. Skills Training | |
| For patients |
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| For professionals involved in patient care |
Support for self care in Primary care and urgent settings
Competences for Training in self management for people with long term health conditions
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| 2. Information | |
| While information on its own is not enough to affect people’s behaviour, quality
of life or clinical outcome, there is good evidence to suggest that better
understanding of a long term condition can positively affect people’s
understanding of their symptoms and long term health. Developing a personalised action plan with patients which identifies where they can get information, support, skills in using tools or devices which may help them self monitor their condition will help promote a patients self efficacy. Asthma UK’s ‘Be in control’ materials have been developed to help people with asthma to self manage and take better control of their asthma. The pack includes an action plan with information about what actions to take when their symptoms get better or worse. It also includes information about what to do during an asthma attack. Patient.co.uk also gives an example of an Asthma action plan. To do this patients need to know:
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| Information may be sourced from: |
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| Patients' Prospectus | Your health, your way – a guide to long-term conditions and self care was launched on NHS Choices on 2 November 2008 to provide people with long-term conditions the information they need about the choices which should be available locally, to enable them to self care in partnership with health and social care professionals. If people are able to understand and exercise their choice around support for self care, they can better control their condition and ultimately improve their quality of life. From April 2009 local services should be provided to match the national offer. Launch letter available here. |
| Information Prescriptions |
NHS Choices have launched an
Information Prescription service which allows the public
and health professionals to create information prescriptions
for long-term health needs, providing information about the
condition and local services. An informed patient is better
placed to make decisions about their care and wellbeing, and
manage changes in their health status.
Patients can create their own information prescription at www.nhs.uk/ipg/Pages/IPStart.aspx. Care pathways are available on NHS Choices with information on help to avoid developing the condition, symptoms, being diagnosed, treatment and living with a condition. For a full list of conditions, click here. |
| Health Literacy – Skilled for health | Ensuring patients know what medicines do, why they take them and how to take them has been shown to increase the rate of compliance NHS Choices Medicines Guide |
| 3. Tools and devices | |
| What tools and devices are available to assist with this condition? These may include self monitoring tools and assistive technology. This can come from a variety of sources including health, social services, voluntary organisations etc. |
Supporting Self Care – a practical option: Diagnostic, monitoring and assistive
tools, devices, technologies and equipment to support self care
Making the Case for Self Care Education - The Department of Health, in collaboration with Expert Patients Programme CIC, have developed a new tool to help make the local business case for self care education. Self Management Support Resource Centre - The Health Foundation resource centre is packed full of information and practical resources that can be adopted and adapted locally to help services and health professionals to develop their own self management support programmes. Self Care Toolkit – for people who live with persistent health conditions The Pain Toolkit – for people who live with persistent pain Packed with handy tips to help people with a persistent health condition manage better on a day-to-day basis. Hard copies of the toolkits on www.orderline.dh.gov.uk or by telephoning 0300 123 100. Quote 403298/Self Care Toolkit or 403298/Pain Toolkit.
Picker Institute Europe – Invest in Engagement. Best Buys include programmes of self-management education that are integrated into routine healthcare with the active involvement of health professionals. These could be delivered through web-based applications. Self-monitoring programmes for people to check their own health status may have a role to play.
Simplified dosing strategies can improve people's adherence to treatment.
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| 4. Support Networks | |
| Community and voluntary support groups, expert patient, and diseases specific support groups. | |
| Healthtalkonline | Healthtalkonline shares other people's experiences of health and illness. You can watch or listen to videos of the interviews, read about people's experiences and find reliable information about conditions, treatment choices and support. The information on Healthtalkonline is based on qualitative research into patient experiences, led by experts at the University of Oxford. Healthtalkonline replaces the DIPEx.org website. |
| Patient UK | A list of the most common support groups relating to specific diseases |
| NHS Choices | Support organisations listed by conditions and treatments. |
A condensed list of support organisations is available here [PDF - 41kb].
Long Term Conditions – Links to Self Management Programmes
General: The Self Care Toolkit. A very useful self care information booklet developed by Pete Moore, a senior trainer at the Expert Patients Programme based in Essex, for people who live with persistent health conditions, their families and carers, and health professionals.
Angina: Anginaplan.org.uk – Self management plan for people with stable chronic angina
Arthritis: Arthritis Care UK – Self Management
Asthma: Asthma UK – Be in Control
Diabetes: DAFNE - DAFNE is a skills based education programme in which people with Type 1 diabetes learn how to adjust insulin to suit their free choice of food and DESMOND - Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed. It is a new, structured group education programme for people with Type 2 diabetes.
