Promoting Health Through Self-Management

Self-management is the ability of the patient to deal with all that a disease entails, including symptoms, treatment, physical and social consequences, and lifestyle changes. It relates to the tasks that an individual must undertake to live well with one or more conditions. These tasks include gaining confidence to deal with medical management, role-management, and emotional management. Successful self-management requires knowledge about the condition, how it needs to be treated and what needs to be done. People feel more confident and engaged when they are encouraged to self-manage by professionals; therefore supporting self-management is a key to prioritizing person-centered care.