Self-management support should be routine part of primary health care delivery
Health Council of Canada releases report on self-management support for
Canadians with chronic conditions
TORONTO, May 15, 2012 /CNW/ – Today the Health Council of Canada released Self-management support for Canadians with chronic health conditions: A
focus for primary health care. The report explores how self-management support can improve patient
outcomes and calls for health systems across Canada to provide
self-management supports in a more systematic way. It profiles a range
of practices and recommends targeted investments in self-management
support strategies.
Chronic disease in Canada costs more than $90 billion a year in lost
productivity and health care costs. And with half of Canadians
reporting at least one chronic condition, these costs will continue to
rise. Successful self-management can help save health resources and
keep patients out of hospital for preventable incidences.
Self-management refers to the things a patient does to live well with
chronic conditions, like monitoring symptoms, taking medication as
prescribed, and recognizing what health-related behaviours will help
manage their conditions. New research shows that patients who
successfully self-manage tend to have reduced disease-related effects
and may make better use of health services because they monitor
symptoms effectively and can prevent or respond to problems before they
become a crisis.
Self-management support includes education and health coaching and is
key to ensuring patients manage their health successfully. In Canada,
95% of adults with multiple chronic conditions have a regular primary
care provider – making this a clear area in which to anchor
self-management support. Primary health care providers should be an
ongoing source of self-management support to follow up with patients
and link them to community services and specialists. The problem is
that this support role is not yet a routine part of care in Canada.
The report discusses how primary health care providers can better assume
this support role for patients with chronic conditions. Self-management
support can start at routine primary care visits where providers can
empower patients to confidently ask questions and get involved in
making decisions about their health. The provider can assist with
self-management education and technical skills, and can support
personal goal-setting with the patient. Another important role for
providers is to link patients to community-based programs. There are
many promising programs that exist to support self-management, but
patients may need their provider to point them in the right direction
and follow up with them on their progress. Providers can also improve
aspects of their practice environment in order to better serve patients
with chronic conditions. Making better use of all members of a health
care team can ease time pressures on physicians and provide patients
with the expertise and coaching they need. Health care professionals
like nurses, social workers and pharmacists can play a role (especially
when many family doctors only have 15 minutes, on average, to devote to
patient visits). Offering group visits and integrating self-management
support programs directly into primary care settings can also yield
positive outcomes.
Given their access to Canadians with chronic-disease, primary health
care providers need to be enabled to deliver self-management support.
We must invest in ongoing education for providers in self-management
support, and encourage the expansion of primary health care teams which
can use a variety of health care providers to deliver self-management
support. Supporting and creating better links between primary care
providers and community-based self management programs will help
increase participation and engagement by patients in their own care.
“Self-management has great potential for patients, providers and
Canadians,” said John G. Abbott, CEO, Health Council of Canada. “Patients and their families will enjoy better quality of life.
Primary care providers will have the tools to help their patients
succeed.”
Investing in ongoing, long-term support for self-management support
needs to be a key priority for governments. Collaboration among
governments, health care providers and chronic disease organizations
can help fill gaps in service and create an integrated, system-wide
approach to self-management support. Further recommendations to enable
self-management support in a more systematic way can be found in the report.
About the Health Council of Canada
Created by the 2003 First Ministers’ Accord on Health Care Renewal, the Health Council of Canada is an independent national agency that
reports on the progress of health care renewal. The Council provides a
system-wide perspective on health care reform in Canada, and
disseminates information on leading practices and innovation across the
country. The Councillors are appointed by the participating provincial
and territorial governments and the Government of Canada.
SOURCE Health Council of Canada
Image with caption: “Self-management support for Canadians with chronic health conditions: A focus for primary health care (CNW Group/Health Council of Canada)”. Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120515_C7467_PHOTO_EN_13697.jpg
Audio with caption: “Podcast with Kelly McQuillen, Director, Acting Executive Director, B.C. Ministry of Health, and Connie Davis, a nurse practitioner and consultant on health care design”. Audio available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2012/05/15/20120515_C7467_AUDIO_EN_13701.mp3
