Promoting self management

Enabling self management is of key importance for people with long term conditions

Expert Patient Programmes (EEPs)

Expert Patient Programmes (England, Wales) were introduced in 2001 and were also identified in the National Service Framework for long term conditions in 2005 as a key strategy to improve the management of long term conditions.
Expert Patient Programmes are delivered by patients through PCTs. Courses are also available for health and social care staff so that they can support these programmes. An evaluation of the pilot phase of the EPP was published in 2006 and is available from the Department of Health website.
Key findings were that in this study:

• there was no change in the use of health services
• being on the programme resulted in patients having one extra week of ‘perfect health’ (measured through quality-adjusted life years)
• health costs were reduced, but for individuals, costs could increase, for  example through expenditure on alternative therapies or special diets
• high rates of satisfaction amongst participants - perhaps due to less social isolation
• major concern that the programmes could increase inequalities, since those who were already relatively well informed were more likely to participate

Information Prescriptions (England)

Information prescriptions are available from the NHS Choices website, and provide information about conditions and treatments, care services, benefits and support groups. They may also be provided by social care professionals. 
They are currently available for 17 of the most common long-term conditions including asthma, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression and coronary heart disease. Quality is assured through the information accreditation scheme and further information available from the Department of Health website.
More useful information is available from the www.informationprescription.info website.

Gaun Yersel! (Scotland)

The Self management strategy for LTC in Scotland - developed by LTCAS for the Scottish Government.

ALISS - Access to Local Information to Support Self Management (Scotland)

This is a project supported by the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and the Long Term Conditions Alliance Scotland. A key aim is to make information for self management available and easy to access at the local level, in a 'user friendly' way, and more information can be found at: www.aliss.scot.nhs.uk.

Self management Fund (Scotland)

The Self Management Fund is available to voluntary organisations and community groups throughout Scotland to support work to encourage people living with long term conditions to learn more about the management of their condition, and to become active partners in their own care.