Self-management interventions: Proposal and validation of a new operational definition

Telehealth interventions for transition to self-management in adolescents with allergic conditions: A systematic review

Telehealth is an emerging approach that uses technology to provide healthcare remotely. Recent publications have outlined the importance of supporting the transition to self-management of adolescents with allergic conditions. However, no synthesis of the evidence base on the use and impact of telehealth interventions for this purpose has been conducted to date. This review achieves these aims, in addition to exploring the language use surrounding these interventions, and their implementation. Four databases were searched systematically. References were independently screened by two reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis was undertaken. Eighteen articles were included, reporting on 15 telehealth interventions. A total of 86% targeted adolescents with asthma. Mobile applications were the most common telehealth modality used, followed by video-conferencing, web-based, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Five intervention content categories were identified; educational, monitoring, behavioural, psychosocial and healthcare navigational. Peer and/or healthcare professional interaction, gamification and tailoring may increase engagement. The studies showed positive effects of the interventions or no difference from active controls, in self-management outcomes such as knowledge, health outcomes such as quality-of-life, and economic outcomes such as healthcare utilization. The most common implementation outcomes reported were acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility and fidelity.

An Umbrella Review of Self-Management Interventions for Health Conditions With Symptom Overlap With Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize evidence for the effectiveness of self-management interventions for chronic health conditions that have symptom overlap with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in order to extract recommendations for self-management intervention in persons with TBI.

DESIGN

An umbrella review of existing systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials or nonrandomized studies targeting self-management of chronic conditions and specific outcomes relevant to persons with TBI.

METHOD

A comprehensive literature search of 5 databases was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewers conducted screening and data extraction using the Covidence web-based review platform. Quality assessment was conducted using criteria adapted from the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2).

RESULTS

A total of 26 reviews met the inclusion criteria, covering a range of chronic conditions and a range of outcomes. Seven reviews were of moderate or high quality and focused on self-management in persons with stroke, chronic pain, and psychiatric disorders with psychotic features. Self-management interventions were found to have positive effects on quality of life, self-efficacy, hope, reduction of disability, pain, relapse and rehospitalization rates, psychiatric symptoms, and occupational and social functioning.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings are encouraging with regard to the effectiveness of self-management interventions in patients with symptoms similar to those of TBI. However, reviews did not address adaptation of self-management interventions for those with cognitive deficits or for populations with greater vulnerabilities, such as low education and older adults. Adaptations for TBI and its intersection with these special groups may be needed.

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Self-Management Interventions for Adults Living with Heart Failure to Improve Patient-Important Outcomes: An Evidence Map of Randomized Controlled Trials

Self-management interventions (SMIs) may enhance heart failure (HF) outcomes and address challenges associated with disease management. This study aims to review randomized evidence and identify knowledge gaps in SMIs for adult HF patients. Within the COMPAR-EU project, from 2010 to 2018, we conducted searches in the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, and PsycINFO. We performed a descriptive analysis using predefined categories and developed an evidence map of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We found 282 RCTs examining SMIs for HF patients, comparing two to four interventions, primarily targeting individual patients (97%) globally (34 countries, only 31% from an European country). These interventions involved support techniques such as information sharing (95%) and self-monitoring (62%), often through a mix of in-person and remote sessions (43%). Commonly assessed outcomes included quality of life, hospital admissions, mortality, exercise capacity, and self-efficacy. Few studies have focused on lower socio-economic or minority groups. Nurses (68%) and physicians (30%) were the primary providers, and most studies were at low risk of bias in generating a random sequence for participant allocation; however, the reporting was noticeably unclear of methods used to conceal the allocation process. Our analysis has revealed prevalent support techniques and delivery methods while highlighting methodological challenges. These findings provide valuable insights for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers striving to optimize SMIs for individuals living with HF.

Prevalence of anxiety and depression and the association with self-management behaviour in >12 000 patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease: a cross-sectional nationwide study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) and evaluate the association of these mental health issues with self-management behaviour.

METHODS

In this nationwide cross-sectional study, we analysed data from 12 713 adult Danish patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or spondyloarthritis (SpA). Patients received an electronic questionnaire covering sociodemographics, self-management behaviour and mental health status. Questionnaire data were linked to clinical data from the Danish Rheumatology database (DANBIO) and the Danish National Patient Registry. The prevalence of anxiety and depression (by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for Anxiety (HADS-A) and Depression (HADS-D)) was estimated separately for RA/PsA/SpA. The association between mental health status and low self-management behaviour (adherence to treatment, health activation and physical activity) was estimated using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, educational level and comorbidity.

RESULTS

The prevalence of anxiety (HADS-A≥8) was highest for patients with SpA (34.5% (95% CI 32.4% to 36.6%)) and lowest for patients with RA (22.1% (95% CI 21.2% to 23.0%)), it was higher for women, younger (<55 years) and recently diagnosed (<3 years) patients and those with basic education. Similar prevalence estimates were found for depression. Across diagnoses, the clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety and depression (HADS≥8) were significantly associated with low self-management behaviour.

CONCLUSION

Patients with IA showed substantial levels of anxiety and depression. A statistically significant association between anxiety and depression and low self-management behaviour was identified. These findings call for a systematic approach to identifying mental health issues in patients with IA.

World Heart Federation Roadmap for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: 2023 Update

Background

Secondary prevention lifestyle and pharmacological treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) reduce a high proportion of recurrent events and mortality. However, significant gaps exist between guideline recommendations and usual clinical practice.

Objectives

Describe the state of the art, the roadblocks, and successful strategies to overcome them in ASCVD secondary prevention management.

Methods

A writing group reviewed guidelines and research papers and received inputs from an international committee composed of cardiovascular prevention and health systems experts about the article's structure, content, and draft. Finally, an external expert group reviewed the paper.

Results

Smoking cessation, physical activity, diet and weight management, antiplatelets, statins, beta-blockers, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, and cardiac rehabilitation reduce events and mortality. Potential roadblocks may occur at the individual, healthcare provider, and health system levels and include lack of access to healthcare and medicines, clinical inertia, lack of primary care infrastructure or built environments that support preventive cardiovascular health behaviours. Possible solutions include improving health literacy, self-management strategies, national policies to improve lifestyle and access to secondary prevention medication (including fix-dose combination therapy), implementing rehabilitation programs, and incorporating digital health interventions. Digital tools are being examined in a range of settings from enhancing self-management, risk factor control, and cardiac rehab.

Conclusions

Effective strategies for secondary prevention management exist, but there are barriers to their implementation. WHF roadmaps can facilitate the development of a strategic plan to identify and implement local and national level approaches for improving secondary prevention.

Self-management strategies for people with epilepsy: An overview of reviews

OBJECTIVE

This overview of systematic reviews aimed to appraise evidence regarding self-management strategies on health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, medication compliance, seizure status and psychosocial outcomes compared to usual care for people with epilepsy.

METHODS

Databases were searched until September 2022 using MeSH terms included OVID Medline, Embase and Cochrane. Following application of eligibility criteria, data were extracted and quality of articles was assessed using the AMSTAR2 checklist. A narrative synthesis of evidence included certainty of evidence evaluated using a Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

RESULTS

The 12 selected reviews contained three meta-analyses and 91 unique primary studies. One review considered only epilepsy with intellectual disability and three considered paediatrics. Interventions included technologically-based interventions, small group discussion, or counselling and educational programs. There was high certainty evidence to suggest self-management is associated with improvement in health-related quality of life and moderate certainty evidence to suggest improvement in depression symptoms. There was low certainty evidence to suggest a modest reduction in negative health events and a minimal increase in the satisfaction with life. There was no evidence of benefit favouring self-management on measures of adherence epilepsy self-management, perception of self-efficacy, medication adherence or seizure status.

SIGNIFICANCE

Despite high certainty evidence to suggest that self-management strategies for people with epilepsy improve health-related quality of life, benefits have not been demonstrated for outcomes that would be expected to be associated with these improvements, such as seizure status. These results provide support for self-management strategies to supplement usual care for people with epilepsy.

Self-Management Interventions for Adults Living with Type II Diabetes to Improve Patient-Important Outcomes: An Evidence Map

Self-management interventions (SMIs) may be promising in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (T2DM). However, accurate comparisons of their relative effectiveness are challenging, partly due to a lack of clarity and detail regarding the intervention content being evaluated. This study summarizes intervention components and characteristics in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to T2DM using a taxonomy for SMIs as a framework and identifies components that are insufficiently incorporated into the design of the intervention or insufficiently reported. Following evidence mapping methodology, we searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, and PsycINFO from 2010 to 2018 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on SMIs for T2DM. We used the terms 'self-management', 'adult' and 'T2DM' for content. For data extraction, we used an online platform based on the taxonomy for SMIs. Two independent reviewers assessed eligible references; one reviewer extracted data, and a second checked accuracy. We identified 665 RCTs for SMIs (34% US, 21% Europe) including 164,437 (median 123, range 10-14,559) adults with T2DM. SMIs highly differed in design and content, and characteristics such as mode of delivery, intensity, location and providers involved were poorly described. The majority of interventions aimed to improve clinical outcomes like HbA1c (83%), weight (53%), lipid profile (45%) or blood pressure (42%); 27% (also) targeted quality of life. Improved knowledge, health literacy, patient activation or satisfaction with care were hardly used as outcomes (<16%). SMIs most often used education (98%), self-monitoring (56%), goal-setting (48%) and skills training (42%) to improve outcomes. Management of emotions (17%) and shared decision-making (5%) were almost never mentioned. Although diabetes is highly prevalent in some minority groups, in only 13% of the SMIs, these groups were included. Our findings highlight the large heterogeneity that exists in the design of SMIs for T2DM and the way studies are reported, making accurate comparisons of their relative effectiveness challenging. In addition, SMIs pay limited attention to outcomes other than clinical, despite the importance attached to these outcomes by patients. More standardized and streamlined research is needed to better understand the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of SMIs of T2DM and benefit patient care.

Mobile Technology-Based Interventions for Stroke Self-Management Support: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

There is growing interest in enhancing stroke self-management support using mobile health (mHealth) technology (eg, smartphones and apps). Despite this growing interest, "self-management support" is inconsistently defined and applied in the poststroke mHealth intervention literature, which limits efforts to synthesize and compare evidence. To address this gap in conceptual clarity, a scoping review was conducted.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives were to (1) identify and describe the types of poststroke mHealth interventions evaluated using a randomized controlled trial design, (2) determine whether (and how) such interventions align with well-accepted conceptualizations of self-management support (the theory by Lorig and Holman and the Practical Reviews in Self-Management Support [PRISMS] taxonomy by Pearce and colleagues), and (3) identify the mHealth functions that facilitate self-management.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted according to the methodology by Arksey and O'Malley and Levac et al. In total, 7 databases were searched. Article screening and data extraction were performed by 2 reviewers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 29 studies (26 interventions) were included. The interventions addressed 7 focal areas (physical exercise, risk factor management, linguistic exercise, activities of daily living training, medication adherence, stroke education, and weight management), 5 types of mobile devices (mobile phones or smartphones, tablets, wearable sensors, wireless monitoring devices, and laptops), and 7 mHealth functions (educating, communicating, goal setting, monitoring, providing feedback, reminding, and motivating). Collectively, the interventions aligned well with the concept of self-management support. However, on an individual basis (per intervention), the alignment was less strong.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of the results, it is recommended that future research on poststroke mHealth interventions be more theoretically driven, more multidisciplinary, and larger in scale.

How do Employees with Chronic Musculoskeletal Disorders Experience the Management of Their Condition in the Workplace? A Metasynthesis

This metasynthesis contributes to an understanding of the experiences, perceptions, and attitudes of employees on managing chronic musculoskeletal disorders (CMSDs) at work. Many studies in this field are concerned with prevention or return-to-work (RTW) programmes. However, the purpose of this review was to synthesise evidence that only focuses on the employees' management of their CMSDs at work. The SPIDER framework was used to structure the question "How do employees with CMSDs experience the management of their condition in the workplace"? The literature search focused on articles published between 2011 and 2021, and the search was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO. The review identified nine articles that explored employees' experiences of managing CMSDs at work. Thematic synthesis was used to create analytic themes which provided a more in-depth discussion of these experiences. The identified themes were: 'employees actively seek ways to manage their conditions', 'influence of work environment on employees with CMSDs' and 'optimising the relationship between employees and managers. This metasynthesis suggests that the ability to negotiate workplace support and manage CMSDs at work is influenced by the cultural and social environment of the organisation. Effective communication, care and trust between the employee is needed. The review also illustrated the need for healthcare professionals to provide support to employees at work.

Nutritional education strategies for patients with cirrhosis: A narrative review

BACKGROUND

Patients with cirrhosis suffer from many complications, including malnutrition, which must be managed promptly and effectively by the healthcare team. Educating patients about their medical condition, the risk of malnutrition and other complications of cirrhosis, could contribute to optimal nutritional status, quality of life and general health.

OBJECTIVE

This review provides an overview of the literature on a variety of nutritional education strategies used with patients suffering from cirrhosis. This review also identifies barriers and facilitators which impact the adherence in using these strategies.

PATIENT INVOLVEMENT

A patient-partner contributed to this review by providing insights on different issues and concerns that patients with cirrhosis might ask themselves regarding nutritional education strategies. The patient-partner was also involved in the overall revision of the review.

METHODS

Articles published between the years 2000-2023 focusing on nutritional education strategies in patients living with cirrhosis were identified using Google Scholar and PubMed and were screened for inclusion in the study. All selected studies were intervention studies. A quality assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

RESULTS

Only a few nutritional education strategies in patients with cirrhosis were documented in the literature. The strategies ranged from using traditional printed materials to advanced technologies. These strategies may prove beneficial in complementing routine interventions provided by health professionals, such as registered dietitians, in their clinical practice.

DISCUSSION

This narrative review clearly highlights the need for further research to elaborate and evaluate nutritional education strategies for people living with cirrhosis.

PRACTICAL VALUE

Elaborating and evaluating educational strategies in nutrition for patients living with cirrhosis will be an adjuvant to health professionals and dietitians in their clinical practice by providing them, and the patients, with targeted education resources.

Religiosity and type 2 diabetes self-management among Muslims residing in California

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a public health issue that needs to be addressed. In the U.S., 11.3% of the population have diabetes. It is estimated that 90-95% of all diabetes cases are T2D cases. One of the best methods to address T2D is self-management. Prior research found a relationship between religiosity and T2D self-management. The purpose of this study was to examine religiosity and T2D self-management. This was a cross-sectional and qualitative study, which included Muslim adults, who have T2D and live in California. We utilized snowballing to recruit participants and the saturation concept to determine the number of participants. Additionally, we used semi-structured design for the interviews and focus groups. We had 30 participants for the interviews (however, only 25 provided demographic data) and 28 for the combined focus groups. Zoom was used to conduct the interviews and two focus groups. The grounded theory was used to deduce themes from the interviews and focus groups. The main themes for religiosity and self-management are Allah sustains life, everything will be ok/hope, faith gives strength, and the role of self within the fate concept. The themes for self-efficacy are diabetes requires new life approach, stress, and Islamic religious practices promote self-management. The main theme for perceived seriousness is taking action and making changes. Our findings provide significant insight about the relationship between religiosity, perceived seriousness, fatalism, and self-efficacy and self-management of T2D. A recommendation based on this study is that providers and health educators should be aware of the different experiences Muslims with T2D face, and tailor recommendations and programs based on that.

Interventions targeting psychosocial adaptation in people with stroke: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aimed to describe and map interventions targeting psychosocial adaptation in people with stroke.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported according to Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. We included original studies with interventions targeting psychosocial adaptation (concept) on people with stroke (population) in any setting (context). We searched five online electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials). We described interventions in terms of design characteristics, theoretical basis, details of interventions, and quantitative outcomes indicated in psychosocial adaptation.

RESULTS

Forty-three studies were identified. Five intervention categories were identified to describe the interventions targeting psychosocial adaptation. Quantitative outcomes indicated psychosocial adaptation in our review were grouped into four domains: global adaptation, psychological adaptation, social adaptation, and others.

CONCLUSIONS

The mapping and description brought to light the large heterogeneity of interventions targeting psychosocial adaptation in people with stroke.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Deepening understanding of psychosocial adaptation can help health professionals further develop effective interventions aiming at promoting psychosocial adaptation and reducing negative health sequelae, such as risk of reduced psychosomatic recovery post stroke.

A multicomponent complex intervention for supportive follow-up of persons with chronic heart failure: a randomized controlled pilot study (the UTILE project)

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive disease associated with a high burden of symptoms, high morbidity and mortality, and low quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and potential outcomes of a novel multicomponent complex intervention, to inform a future full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Switzerland.

METHODS

We conducted a pilot RCT at a secondary care hospital for people with HF hospitalized due to decompensated HF or with a history of HF decompensation over the past 6 months. We randomized 1:1; usual care for the control (CG) and intervention group (IG) who received the intervention as well as usual care. Feasibility measures included patient recruitment rate, study nurse time, study attrition, the number and duration of consultations, intervention acceptability and intervention fidelity. Patient-reported outcomes included HF-specific self-care and HF-related health status (KCCQ-12) at 3 months follow-up. Clinical outcomes were all-cause mortality, hospitalization and days spent in hospital.

RESULTS

We recruited 60 persons with HF (age mean = 75.7 years, ± 8.9) over a 62-week period, requiring 1011 h of study nurse time. Recruitment rate was 46.15%; study attrition rate was 31.7%. Follow-up included 2.14 (mean, ± 0.97) visits per patient lasting a total of 166.96 min (mean, ± 72.55), and 3.1 (mean, ± 1.7) additional telephone contacts. Intervention acceptability was high. Mean intervention fidelity was 0.71. We found a 20-point difference in mean self-care management change from baseline to 3 months in favour of the IG (Cohens' d = 0.59). Small effect sizes for KCCQ-12 variables; less IG participants worsened in health status compared to CG participants. Five deaths occurred (IG = 3, CG = 2). There were 13 (IG) and 18 (CG) all-cause hospital admissions; participants spent 8.90 (median, IQR = 9.70, IG) and 15.38 (median, IQR = 18.41, CG) days in hospital. A subsequent full-scale effectiveness trial would require 304 (for a mono-centric trial) and 751 participants (for a ten-centre trial) for HF-related QoL (effect size = 0.3; power = 0.80, alpha = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

We found the intervention, research methods and outcomes were feasible and acceptable. We propose increasing intervention fidelity strategies for a full-scale trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN10151805 , retrospectively registered 04/10/2019.

What we know about fatigue self-management programs for people living with chronic conditions: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The significant impact of fatigue on the lives of patients with chronic conditions has demanded a response. One response has been the development and testing of self-management programs. Little is known about what these programs have in common or how they differ. This scoping review compared the key components of fatigue self-management programs.

METHODS

Scoping review methodology was employed. Databases of CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO, Cochrane and Medline were searched to identify relevant sources.

RESULTS

Included fatigue programs were compared using a three-component framework: 1) self-management strategies; 2) active patient participation; and 3) self-management support. Although all programs included some aspects of these components, the extent varied with only a few domains of these components found across all programs.

CONCLUSION

The three self-management components employed in this study showed potential benefits in identifying similarities and differences across fatigue programs with comparable and distinct underlying theories. This three-component framework could facilitate identification of domains associated with positive outcomes.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is essential that authors of programs provide detailed descriptions to enable inter-program comparison. The three-component framework chosen for this review was capable of describing and comparing fatigue self-management programs, paving the way for more effective interventions.

Perceived barriers, facilitators and usefulness of a psychoeducational intervention for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression in primary care

Background and aims

Self-management interventions have the potential to improve patient' pain condition as they involve tasks aimed at managing symptoms and reducing interference with activities, mood and relationships due to pain. However, research on factors that facilitate or hinder pain self-management has overlooked patients with both chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression in primary care settings, also leaving unattended patient views on the usefulness of such programs. Thus, the main aim of this study was to gather meaningful information to help promoting adequate self-management. Specifically, it attempts to identify patients' perceptions of barriers and facilitators of group-based psychoeducational intervention and to explore its perceived usefulness in promoting self-management.

Method

This qualitative study explored perceived barriers and facilitators of a psychoeducational intervention for the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression previously tested in a Randomized Control Trial. We conducted focus groups and individual interviews with fifteen adult patients with both chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression recruited from primary care centres in Tarragona province (Catalonia, Spain). A content thematic analysis was carried out to examine the data. This study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines.

Results

Findings revealed that perceived barriers included lack of motivation, time constraints, pain, depression, ineffectiveness of pain-relief strategies and activity avoidance. Facilitators were having a supportive family/friends, the positive effects of self-management, high motivation, being a proactive patient. Peer support and identification, the positive effect of sessions, and free expression were highlighted as key elements of the psychoeducational intervention.

Conclusion

The psychoeducational intervention was perceived as useful in promoting self-management practices. Barriers and facilitators in using self-management strategies were related, mainly, to internal personal characteristics of the patients being similar among different cultural backgrounds and distinct chronic conditions.

Implications

These findings can help to guide clinicians in the development and implementation of more effective pain self-management interventions for patients with chronic pain and depression by attending to their needs and preferences.

"Self-management has to be the way of the future": Exploring the perspectives of speech-language pathologists who work with people with aphasia

PURPOSE

Healthcare models have incorporated self-management approaches to facilitate increased patient responsibility for chronic condition management. As aphasia is a chronic condition, self-management may be beneficial for people with aphasia; however, the possible impacts of the language disorder on self-management must be acknowledged and addressed. Speech-language pathologists would likely be principal providers of self-management support; therefore, their perspectives should be sought when considering development of aphasia self-management approaches. This study aims to explore speech-language pathologist perspectives of aphasia self-management.

METHOD

In-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 speech-language pathologists in Australia. Interview data analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULT

Aphasia self-management was viewed as a person- and family-centred approach enabling comprehensive long-term care for people with aphasia and promoting control, responsibility, and independence. Speech-language pathologists were seen to have a substantial role providing self-management support and consultation, and training was required to expand this role. Communication partners and peer support were highly valued. Personal and environmental factors may influence successful aphasia self-management. Differences between aphasia self-management and chronic condition self-management were considered.

CONCLUSION

Self-management could facilitate long-term sustainable aphasia management. Aphasia self-management approaches should factor in how to maximise communication partner and peer support. Aphasia-friendly self-management resources are necessary.

'They should walk with you': the perspectives of African Americans living with hypertension and their family members on disease self-management

OBJECTIVES

African Americans are at significantly greater risk for hypertension, as well as worse hypertension-related morbidity and mortality than other racial/ethnic groups. Prior research aiming to address these health disparities has focused on improving individual patient self-management, with few studies testing family-centered interventions. We aimed to explore the perspectives of African Americans with hypertension and their family members on hypertension, self-management, and reciprocal family-hypertension impacts to inform future intervention design.

DESIGN

We conducted four dyadic focus groups (90-120 minutes) of African American adults with hypertension (i.e. patients) and their family members. We recruited patients (n = 23) and their family members (n = 23) from four African American-serving Christian churches over a period of three months (69.6% female, M age = 60.73 years). Patient-family member dyads were interviewed conjointly (groups ranged from 4 to 6 dyads, each) by facilitators using open-ended questions to elicit perspectives regarding contributors to hypertension, self-management strategies, family influence on self-management, and the impact of hypertension on the family. A grounded theory approach was used for analysis.

RESULTS

Participants' responses highlighted themes of societal risk factors and barriers (e.g. racism-related stress worsens blood pressure), influences of African American culture (e.g. culturally-informed diet practices), the patient-physician relationship (e.g. proactive communication is beneficial), family-level influences on health (e.g. family monitoring patients' health behaviors), and patient-level risk factors and self-management strategies (e.g. prayer to cope with stress). Themes reflected a hierarchical, nested, ecological structure such that themes within unique levels of participants' social systems affected, and were affected by, stress, change, or behavior in the other levels.

CONCLUSIONS

African American adults with hypertension and their family members described multilevel influences on hypertension and disease self-management, with a strong emphasis on the value of family support. Developing culturally appropriate, family-centered interventions to improve hypertension self-management will be an important next step.

Impact of digital technologies on self-efficacy in people with Parkinson's: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disease globally, for which currently no one definitive cause or cure exists. Estimates suggest that 145 000 people with Parkinson's (PwP) live in the UK. PD presents with motor and non-motor symptoms fluctuating significantly in and between individuals continually throughout the day. PD adversely affects activities of daily living, quality of life and well-being. Self-efficacy is an important belief to improve for PwP as it enables the individual to develop confidence in their ability to exert control over their own motivation, behaviour and social environment. This scoping review aims to identify digital technologies which have been shown to positively impact on promoting self-efficacy in PwP.

METHODS AND ANALYSES

Six bibliographic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE and IEEE Xplore will be searched from the date of their inception to the May 2023. The primary outcome will be to identify interventions which are associated with a change in self-efficacy in PwP to enable positive and negative outcomes, as well as safety to be evaluated. The secondary outcomes of this review will focus on the intervention's proposed mechanisms for success, particularly looking at the impact they had on positive behaviour change(s) or modification(s) on study participants.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This scoping review will not require ethical approval as it will use data collected from previously published primary studies. The findings of this review will be published in peer-reviewed journals and widely disseminated.

The Influence of a Wearable-Based Reward Program on Health Care Costs: Retrospective, Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Mobile health (mHealth) technology holds great promise as an easily accessible and effective solution to improve population health at scale. Despite the abundance of mHealth offerings, only a minority are grounded in evidence-based practice, whereas even fewer have line of sight into population-level health care spending, limiting the clinical utility of such tools.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the influence of a health plan-sponsored, wearable-based, and reward-driven digital health intervention (DHI) on health care spending over 1 year. The DHI was delivered through a smartphone-based mHealth app available only to members of a large commercial health plan and leveraged a combination of behavioral economics, user-generated sensor data from the connected wearable device, and claims history to create personalized, evidence-based recommendations for each user.

METHODS

This study deployed a propensity score-matched, 2-group, and pre-post observational design. Adults (≥18 years of age) enrolled in a large, national commercial health plan and self-enlisted in the DHI for ≥7 months were allocated to the intervention group (n=56,816). Members who were eligible for the DHI but did not enlist were propensity score-matched to the comparison group (n=56,816). Average (and relative change from baseline) medical and pharmacy spending per user per month was computed for each member of the intervention and comparison groups during the pre- (ie, 12 months) and postenlistment (ie, 7-12 months) periods using claims data.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics and medical spending were similar between groups (P=.89). On average, the total included sample population (N=113,632) consisted of young to middle-age (mean age 38.81 years), mostly White (n=55,562, 48.90%), male (n=46,731, 41.12%) and female (n=66,482, 58.51%) participants. Compared to a propensity score-matched cohort, DHI users demonstrated approximately US $10 per user per month lower average medical spending (P=.02) with a concomitant increase in preventive care activities and decrease in nonemergent emergency department admissions. These savings translated to approximately US $6.8 million in avoidable health care costs over the course of 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

This employer-sponsored, digital health engagement program has a high likelihood for return on investment within 1 year owing to clinically meaningful changes in health-seeking behaviors and downstream medical cost savings. Future research should aim to elucidate health behavior-related mechanisms in support of these findings and continue to explore novel strategies to ensure equitable access of DHIs to underserved populations that stand to benefit the most.

Person-centered care for musculoskeletal pain: Putting principles into practice

Person-centered care specifically focuses on the whole person and is an important component of contemporary care for people with musculoskeletal pain conditions. Evidence suggests however, that some clinicians experience difficulties with integrating person-centered care principles into their clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this masterclass is to provide a framework that enables clinicians to incorporate person-centered principles in their management of people with musculoskeletal pain conditions. To support clinicians in overcoming some of the reported obstacles, we provide practical recommendations aimed at putting principles of person-centered care into practice. The framework supporting clinicians' delivery of person-centered care in practice consists of three key-principles: A) a biopsychosocial understanding of the person's experience; B) person-focused communication; and C) supported self-management. The framework includes three phases: 1) identification and goal setting, 2) coaching to self-management, and 3) evaluation. Building a therapeutic relationship underpins these phases and is an overarching element that weaves through the key-principles and phases of the framework. We use a clinical case to illustrate the practical implementation of these recommendations.

Management of communication disability in the first 90 days after stroke: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

People with communication disability after stroke need interventions to optimise healthcare communication and rehabilitation outcomes. Current evidence syntheses do not adequately inform the management of communication disability during the first 90 days post-stroke.

PURPOSE

To explore the scope of literature for the management of communication disability in the first 90 days after stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using a systematic keyword search of six databases. A descriptive synthesis was generated using communication-related domains related to the biopsychosocial framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

RESULTS

A total of 129 studies met eligibility criteria. Aphasia was the most frequently addressed communication disability after stroke (76/129 studies) with a paucity of evidence investigating other acquired neurogenic communication impairments. Management predominantly focused on communication-related: body functions and structures (62 studies) (e.g., linguistic-behavioural therapies), followed by environmental factors (39 studies) (e.g., communication partner training/support); activities and participation (15 studies) (e.g., augmentative and alternative communication); and personal factors (13 studies) (e.g., assessment of depression after aphasia).

CONCLUSION

A coordinated, integrated approach to developing and testing acute and subacute interventions for all communication disabilities across all communication-related domains is required.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONInterdisciplinary stroke clinicians need to manage communication disabilities in the first 90 days after stroke to optimise healthcare communication and rehabilitation outcomes.There is some evidence to guide clinicians in aphasia management but less in other disabilities of speech and cognitive functioning.Most interventions to inform clinical practice address communication-related body functions and structures (e.g., linguistic and speech therapies). Clinicians need to address all domains and more evidence is needed to address environmental factors (e.g., communication support); activities and participation (e.g., person-centred goal setting); and personal factors (e.g., psychological care).

Communication partner perspectives of aphasia self-management and the role of technology: an in-depth qualitative exploration

PURPOSE

"Self-management" empowers individuals to take responsibility for their healthcare through skill-building, personal growth, and self-efficacy related to chronic health condition management. Self-management approaches may benefit people with aphasia (PwA); however, PwA are often excluded from stroke self-management research and there is no published research reporting on aphasia-specific self-management programs. Communication partners (CPs) are involved in the rehabilitation and day-to-day lives of PwA, thus giving them unique insights and knowledge of PwA needs. The present study aimed to investigate CP experiences and perspectives regarding aphasia self-management and to explore CP perceptions of the use of technology in aphasia self-management.

METHODS

In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 14 CPs living in Australia. Interview data was analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed six core themes: (1) aphasia self-management is embedded into everyday life, (2) CPs provide comprehensive self-management support, (3) speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide tools and support to enable PwA to self-manage, (4) aphasia self-management can be enhanced by technological supports, (5) potential positive outcomes of aphasia self-management, and (6) factors influencing successful aphasia self-management.

CONCLUSIONS

Aphasia self-management programs should focus on individual needs, functional communication in daily life, and social interaction. PwA and CPs are central to these programs, assisted by SLPs. Technology should be explored to augment aphasia self-management.Implications for RehabilitationCommunication partners suggest that people with aphasia are already engaging in aspects of self-management and that more formal aphasia-specific self-management approaches may be beneficial.Dedicated aphasia self-management programs should be situated in daily life with a focus on functional communication, life participation, confidence, and independence.Communication partners, speech-language pathologists, and technology are key support sources for aphasia self-management.Further input should be sought from communication partners in the development of aphasia self-management programs.

mHealth Apps for Low Back Pain Self-management: Scoping Review

Background

The role of self-management in health promotion, as well as prevention and rehabilitation, is increasing through the use of mobile health (mHealth) apps. Such mHealth apps are also increasingly being used for self-management of low back pain (LBP), but their effectiveness has not been sufficiently explored.

Objective

The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the literature on self-management mHealth apps and their effects on the levels of pain and disability in people with LBP.

Methods

We applied the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) methodology, including a priori research questions. A literature search was conducted in 2 databases (PubMed and PEDro) for studies published between January 1, 2015, and June 17, 2021. Interventional, cohort, or case series studies with an interventional period were included if the mHealth app included built-in self-management content, the app was used for self-management for people with LBP, and the study reported outcomes regarding pain and disability in people with LBP.

Results

In total, 7 studies were selected for the review with overall 2307 persons with LBP, of whom 1328 (57.56%) were women. Among the studies (5/7, 71%) that reported the type of pain, 85% (390/459) of the participants were experiencing chronic LBP. A total of 5 different mHealth apps were identified, of which 4 contributed to a statistically significant reduction in LBP and clinically meaningful changes. Of the 7 studies, 4 (57%) used 4 different assessments for disability, of which 3 (75%) showed statistically significant improvements in the level of functional ability of participants in the experimental groups using an mHealth app with built-in self-management content for LBP.

Conclusions

This scoping review supports the conclusion that people with LBP may benefit from mHealth apps that provide self-management content. However, the generalizability of the findings is limited because of heterogeneity in the pain characterization of the included participants and the intervention durations. More high-quality studies with longer follow-up periods to investigate personalized mHealth approaches are recommended for LBP self-management.

Integrated self-management support provided by primary care nurses to persons with chronic diseases and common mental disorders: a scoping review

AIM

To map integrated and non-integrated self-management support interventions provided by primary care nurses to persons with chronic diseases and common mental disorders and describe their characteristics.

DESIGN

A scoping review.

DATA SOURCES

In April 2020, we conducted searches in several databases (Academic Research Complete, AMED, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Emcare, HealthSTAR, Proquest Central) using self-management support, nurse, primary care and their related terms. Of the resulting 4241 articles, 30 were included into the analysis.

REVIEW METHODS

We used the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care to identify integrated self-management interventions and to analyze the data and the PRISMS taxonomy for the description of interventions. Study selection and data synthesis were performed by the team. Self-management support interventions were considered integrated if they were consistent with the Rainbow model's definition of clinical integration and person-focused care.

RESULTS

The 30 selected articles related to 10 self-management support interventions. Among these, five interventions were considered integrated. The delivery of the interventions showed variability. Strategies used were education, problem-solving therapies, action planning, and goal setting. Integrated self-management support intervention characteristics were nurse-person relationship, engagement, and biopsychosocial approach. A framework for integrated self-management was proposed. The main characteristics of the non-integrated self-management support were disease-specific approach, protocol-driven, and lack of adaptability.

CONCLUSION

Our review synthesizes integrated and non-integrated self-management support interventions and their characteristics. We propose recommendations to improve its clinical integration. However, further theoretical clarification and qualitative research are needed.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING

Self-management support is an important activity for primary care nurses and persons with chronic diseases and common mental disorders, who are increasingly present in primary care, and require an integrated approach.

IMPACT

This review addresses the paucity of details surrounding integrated self-management support for persons with chronic diseases and common mental disorders and provides a framework to better describe its characteristics. The findings could be used to design future research and improve the clinical integration of this activity by nurses.

Self-management interventions for people with Parkinson’s Disease: A scoping review (Preprint)

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Effects of Self-Management Training on Smartphone Dependence in Low to Moderate Adolescent Males’ Users

While taking advantage of the educational benefits of smartphones, students also apply this device in inappropriate ways that cause certain disciplinary and educational problems. This study examines the effect of self-management training on smartphone dependence among male high school students. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, data were collected using the Cell Phone Addiction Scale (Koo, 2009), which was completed by the trial and control groups before and after the educational intervention. After assessing their normal distribution, the data were analysed using the Chi-square test, the independent and paired t-tests, Mann–Whitney's U-test, and the Wilcoxon test at a significance level of p < .05. Results: The results showed significant post-intervention reductions in the mean score of smartphone dependence (35.10) and its three domains, including withdrawal/tolerance (14.80), life dysfunction (8.70), and compulsion/persistence (11.60), in the trial group compared to the controls (44.80, 16.2, 12.10, and 16.50) and also in the mean score of certain applications of smartphones (p < .05). Discussion and conclusions: Despite the existing limitations, the results confirmed the efficacy of self-management training in reducing smartphone dependence in the students. The implementation of this programme is recommended for reducing dependence and promoting the proper use of this device.

Clinical Outcomes of Different Warfarin Self-Care Strategies: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

AIM

To compare the effects of different strategies for warfarin self-care.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, and OpenGrey were searched from inception to August 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of warfarin self-care, either patient self-testing (PST) or patient self-management (PSM), were included. Self-care approaches were classified based on the TIP framework (theme, intensity, provider): (1) PST ≥1/week via e-Health (PST/High/e-Health); (2) PST ≥1/week by health care practitioner (PST/High/HCP); (3) PST <1/week via e-Health (PST/Low/e-Health); (4) PSM ≥1/week by e-Health (PSM/High/e-Health); (5) PSM ≥1/week by patient (PSM/High/Pt); (6) PSM <1/week by patient (PSM/Low/Pt); and (7) PSM with flexible frequency by patient (PSM/Flex/Pt). Mean differences (MDs) and risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using frequentist network meta-analyses with a random-effects model. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using CINeMA (Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis).

RESULTS

Sixteen RCTs involving 5,895 participants were included. When compared with usual care, time in therapeutic range was higher in PSM/High/Pt and PST/High/e-Health with MD [95% CI] of 7.67% [0.26-15.08] and 5.65% [0.04-11.26], respectively. The certainty of evidence was rated as moderate for these findings. The risk of thromboembolic events was lower in the PSM/Flex/Pt group when compared with PST/High/e-Health (RR: 0.39 [0.20-0.77]) and usual care (RR: 0.38 [0.17-0.88]) with low and very low level of evidence, respectively. There was no significant difference in the proportion of international normalized ratio (INR) values in range, major bleeding, and all-cause mortality among different self-care features.

CONCLUSION

Patient self-care (either PST or PSM) by measuring INR values at least once weekly is more effective in controlling the INR level.

Exploring the Discursive Emphasis on Patients and Coaches Who Participated in Technology-Assisted Diabetes Self-management Education: Clinical Implementation Study of Health360x

BACKGROUND

A critical unmet need for underserved patients with diabetes is regular access to sufficient support for diabetes self-management. Although advances in digital technologies have made way for eHealth applications that provide a scalable path for tailored interventions for self-management of chronic conditions, health and digital literacy has remained an obstacle to leveraging these technologies for effective diabetes self-management education. Studies have shown that the availability of coaches helps to maintain engagement in internet-based studies and improves self-efficacy for behavior change. However, little is known about the substances involved in these interactions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to compare the content of conversations between patient-coach pairs that achieved their self-management goals and those that did not. The context is a clinical implementation study of diabetes self-management behavior change using Health360x within the practices of the Morehouse Choice Accountable Care Organization in the Atlanta metro area. Health360x is a coach-assisted consumer health information technology designed to support self-management skills acquisition and behavior among underserved, high-risk patients with diabetes.

METHODS

We provide a novel analysis of the discursive emphasis on patients and coaches. We examined transcripts of visits using a structural topic model to estimate topic content and prevalence as a function of patient and coach characteristics. We compared topics between patient-coach pairs that achieved diabetes-related self-management goals and those who did not. We also estimated a regression in which utterances are the units, the dependent variable is the proportion of an utterance that is about a given topic, and the independent variables are speaker types and explored other themes.

RESULTS

Transcripts from 50 patients who were recruited and consented, starting in February 2015, were analyzed. A total of 44 topics were estimated for patient-coach pairs that achieved their intended health goals and 50 topics for those who did not. Analysis of the structural topic model results indicated that coaches in patient-coach pairs that were able to achieve self-management goals provided more contextual feedback and probed into patients' experience with technology and trust in consumer information technologies. We also found that discussions around problem areas and stress, support (β_Coach=.015; P<.001), initial visits (β_Coach=.02; P<.001), problems with technology (β_Coach=.01; P<.001), health eating goals (β_Coach=.01; P=.04), diabetes knowledge (β_Coach=.02; P<.001), managing blood sugar (β_Coach=.03; P<.001), and using Health360x (β_Coach=.003; P=.03) were dominated by coaches.

CONCLUSIONS

Coach-facilitated, technology-based diabetes self-management education can help underserved patients with diabetes. Our use of topic modeling in this application sheds light on the actual dynamics in conversations between patients and coaches. Knowledge of the key elements for successful coach-patient interactions based on the analysis of transcripts could be applied to understanding everyday patient-provider encounters, given the recent paradigm shift around the use of telehealth.

Self-management program for patients with chronic kidney disease (SMP-CKD) in Southern China: protocol for an ambispective cohort study

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health problem. Short-term self-management has been considered to effect some renal and psychological endpoints. However, there are currently very few studies about self-management for CKD that a) have been scientifically designed by a theory-based framework and b) that evaluate the long-term effects and working mechanism. This study presents the rationale and design of a theory-based cohort study to explore how this self-management intervention works and its effectiveness on the Chinese CKD population.

Methods

In this ambispective intervention cohort study,1,200 patients with CKD stages 1–5 will be recruited from July 2015 to July 2024 in 3 branches of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine (GPHCM) in Guangdong province, China. The patients in the self-management cohort will choose to receive an intervention that consists of education, nutrition/diet modification, lifestyle change recommendation, medication review, and psychology support based on Social Cognition Theory (SCT). The patients in the control cohort will do regular follow-ups based on the clinic rules. All the patients will be followed up for 5 years, or until the occurrence of a primary outcome. Detailed clinical, laboratory markers, nutritional status, psychological exposures and outcome questionaries will be collected semiannually in CKD stage 1–2 and trimonthly in stage 3–5 patients. The primary outcome is the occurrence of composite clinical endpoints (doubling of serum creatinine level, ESKD, loss of renal function (≥ 40% decline in GFR from baseline), death, major cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events). The main secondary outcomes include the absolute change and slope of eGFR, absolute changes of urinary protein creatinine ratio, 24-h urine proteinuria, intact parathyroid hormone level, and self-management adherence rate and quality of life from baseline to end of the study. The effectiveness of self-management will be analyzed and the association between longitudinal trajectories of self-management and renal outcomes will be evaluated.

Discussion

This study aims to provide further evidence for the effectiveness of theory-based self-management in CKD patients and to improve the lives of patients with CKD by slowing progression, improving psychological well-being and overall quality of life.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR1900024633). 19 July, 2019. http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=38378

Successful implementation of self-management health innovations

Background

Literature on self-management innovations has studied their characteristics and position in healthcare systems. However, less attention has been paid to factors that contribute to successful implementation. This paper aims to answer the question: which factors play a role in a successful implementation of self-management health innovations?

Methods

We conducted a narrative review of academic literature to explore factors related to successful implementation of self-management health innovations. We further investigated the factors in a qualitative multiple case study to analyse their role in implementation success. Data were collected from nine self-management health projects in the Netherlands.

Results

Nine factors were found in the literature that foster the implementation of self-management health innovations: 1) involvement of end-users, 2) involvement of local and business partners, 3) involvement of stakeholders within the larger system, 4) tailoring of the innovation, 5) utilisation of multiple disciplines, 6) feedback on effectiveness, 7) availability of a feasible business model, 8) adaption to organisational changes, and 9) anticipation of changes required in the healthcare system. In the case studies, on average six of these factors could be identified. Three projects achieved a successful implementation of a self-management health innovation, but only in one case were all factors present.

Conclusions

For successful implementation of self-management health innovation projects, the factors identified in the literature are neither necessary nor sufficient. Therefore, it might be insightful to study how successful implementation works instead of solely focusing on the factors that could be helpful in this process.

Comparative Efficacy of Strategies to Support Self-Management in Patients with Asthma: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is limited evidence about which composite feature of asthma self-management strategies is the best and should be adopted into practice.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy of different strategies to support self-management, based on the newly developed framework, in patients with asthma.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and PsycInfo from 1993 to December 2019. We identified randomized controlled trials that explored effects of strategies to support self-management in adult patients with asthma. We conducted network meta-analyses using a random effects model with usual care as the common comparator. Surface under the cumulative ranking curve methods were used to rank different support strategies.

RESULTS

Thirty-five trials (5195 patients) were included and classified on the basis of our newly created TIP framework: Theme, Intensity, and Provider/Platform. We identified 6 features from the included trials, each represented by 1 element of the TIP framework: (1) behavioral support more than once a month by e-Health; (2) behavioral support more than once a month by health care personnel (HCP); (3) behavioral support less often than or equal to once a month by HCP; (4) education support less often than or equal to once a month by e-Health; (5) education support less often than or equal to once a month by HCP; and (6) psychosocial support less often than or equal to once a month by HCP. Behavioral support more than once a month by e-Health showed significant improvement in asthma control when compared with the other 2 support strategies, which was confirmed by the highest surface under the cumulative ranking of 97.6%. However, the surface under the cumulative ranking for behavioral support less often than or equal to once a month by HCP suggested that it has the potential to be the best intervention to reduce the risk of hospitalization (89.1%) and emergency department visit (84.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Different features of asthma self-management support strategies work best on unique outcomes.

Patient-centered care in musculoskeletal practice: Key elements to support clinicians to focus on the person

Musculoskeletal rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, needs to move towards a broader biopsychosocial understanding of musculoskeletal conditions and the delivery of high-value care for people with persistent pain conditions, in which a patient-centered approach is a key feature. However, it has been reported that clinicians experience difficulties with integrating patient-centered care principles into their clinical practice. Based on a focused symposium about patient-centered care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions, held during the online 2021 World Physiotherapy Congress, the purpose of this article is to share key elements of the content of this symposium with a wider audience, aimed at enabling clinicians to enhance patient-centeredness in their current practice. These key elements include establishing meaningful connections, deciding together and self-management support. Moreover, challenges on patient-centered care in low/middle income countries will be discussed and recommendations to implement patient-centered care in clinical practice will be provided.

Self-management support for older adults with chronic illness: implications for nursing practice

Self-management is a key skill that older adults with multiple comorbidities require. Self-management interventions include medication management, self-monitoring and self-awareness and self-management often requires the older adult to manage the emotional consequences of having multiple comorbidities. The benefits of self-management for older adults include reduced reliance on the health system, enhanced quality of life, empowerment of the individual and reduction in the burden associated with chronic illness. Many factors can influence an older adult's ability to self-manage, including health literacy, mental health difficulties and socio-economic factors. Self-management support is the provision of structures, services and programmes to support and enhance the skills of older adults in managing their own conditions. Nurses are in a pivotal position across the continuum of care, using both person-centred care and the 'Making Every Contact Count' approach, to support older adults to self-manage their conditions.

Experiences, barriers and needs of physiotherapists with regard to providing self-management support to people with low back pain: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

A person-centred, biopsychosocial approach focused on self-management and a healthy lifestyle is recommended for managing non-specific low back pain (LBP).

OBJECTIVE

What are the experiences of physiotherapists with regard to providing self-management support to people with non-specific LBP?

DESIGN

Exploratory qualitative.

METHODS

Fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with physiotherapists in the Netherlands using a semi-structured and pilot tested interview guide. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Physiotherapists believe that self-management has added value in the management of people with non-specific LBP. Motivational interviewing, providing advice and exercise were most frequently used to facilitate behaviour change aimed at enhancing patients' self-management. Support regarding self-management skills was not frequently mentioned. Physiotherapists are not fully aware of and do not fully integrate support with regard to important self-management skills. The most important barrier participants experienced with regard to integrating self-management was patient expectations. Another important barrier was addressing psychosocial factors. Most participants expressed a need to better integrate self-management support in their treatment. They explained that they needed more knowledge (courses, knowledge clips), opportunities to exchange experiences (peer review group) and tools for patients (app).

CONCLUSIONS

Physiotherapists do not fully integrate support with regard to important self-management skills in people with non-specific LBP. We recommend that physiotherapists address the identified barriers and needs and better include self-management support in their treatment of people with non-specific LBP. We recommend important stakeholders to collectively work on diminishing barriers to integrating self-management support.

What is the effect of low back pain self-management interventions with exercise components added? A systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Best practice guidelines endorse self-management and exercise in chronic low back pain (CLBP) management. The majority of existing self-management interventions (SMIs) do not include exercise components, and the effect of SMIs with exercises on CLBP and disability remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To systematically review the evidence for the effect of SMIs with an exercise component added, on pain and disability in people with CLBP.

DESIGN

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

METHOD

An electronic search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with SMIs with exercises was performed in 5 databases. Standardised Mean Difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model for meta-analysis at short-term, intermediate, and long-term follow-up points. The level of evidence was synthesized using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

09 RCTs were included in the review and the GRADE quality assessment revealed low-quality evidence for all meta-analyses across 3 follow-up points. Effect sizes (ESs) for pain were -0.28, -0.36 and -0.21 for short-term, intermediate, and long-term respectively, and -0.30, -0.25 and -0.20 for short-term, intermediate, and long-term for disability, respectively. 6 out of 09 studies included tailored exercise programmes and exercise components differed widely in their content and delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

There is low-quality evidence that SMIs with exercises added have moderately positive effects on pain and disability in patients with CLBP compared to control interventions involving usual care, typically consisting of access to medication, exercise, advice, education, and manual therapy.

A Research Pathway Model for evaluating the implementation of practice-based research: The case of self-management health innovations

This study explores the evaluation of research pathways of self-management health innovations from discovery to implementation in the context of practice-based research. The aim is to understand how a new process model for evaluating practice-based research provides insights into the implementation success of innovations. Data were collected from nine research projects in the Netherlands. Through document analysis and semi-structured interviews, we analysed how the projects start, evolve, and contribute to the healthcare practice. Building on previous research evaluation approaches to monitor knowledge utilization, we developed a Research Pathway Model. The model’s process character enables us to include and evaluate the incremental work required throughout the lifespan of an innovation project and it helps to foreground that innovation continues during implementation in real-life settings. We found that in each research project, pathways are followed that include activities to explore a new solution, deliver a prototype and contribute to theory. Only three projects explored the solution in real life and included activities to create the necessary changes for the solutions to be adopted. These three projects were associated with successful implementation. The exploration of the solution in a real-life environment in which users test a prototype in their own context seems to be a necessary research activity for the successful implementation of self-management health innovations.

Talking the same language on patient empowerment: Development and content validation of a taxonomy of self-management interventions for chronic conditions

CONTEXT

The literature on self-management interventions (SMIs) is growing exponentially, but it is characterized by heterogeneous reporting that limits comparability across studies and interventions. Building an SMI taxonomy is the first step towards creating a common language for stakeholders to drive research in this area and promote patient self-management and empowerment.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate the content of a comprehensive taxonomy of SMIs for long-term conditions that will help identify key characteristics and facilitate design, reporting and comparisons of SMIs.

METHODS

We employed a mixed-methods approach incorporating a literature review, an iterative consultation process and mapping of key domains, concepts and elements to develop an initial SMI taxonomy that was subsequently reviewed in a two-round online Delphi survey with a purposive sample of international experts.

RESULTS

The final SMI taxonomy has 132 components classified into four domains: intervention characteristics, expected patient/caregiver self-management behaviours, outcomes for measuring SMIs and target population characteristics. The two-round Delphi exercise involving 27 international experts demonstrated overall high agreement with the proposed items, with a mean score (on a scale of 1-9) per component of 8.0 (range 6.1-8.8) in round 1 and 8.1 (range 7.0-8.9) in round 2.

CONCLUSIONS

The SMI taxonomy contributes to building a common framework for the patient self-management field and can help implement and improve patient empowerment and facilitate comparative effectiveness research of SMIs. Patient or public contribution. Patients' representatives contributed as experts in the Delphi process and as partners of the consortium.

Self-management at the core of back pain care: 10 key points for clinicians

BACKGROUND

A paradigm shift away from clinician-led management of people with chronic disorders to people playing a key role in their own care has been advocated. At the same time, good health is recognised as the ability to adapt to changing life circumstances and to self-manage. Under this paradigm, successful management of persistent back pain is not mainly about clinicians diagnosing and curing patients, but rather about a partnership where clinicians help individuals live good lives despite back pain.

OBJECTIVE

In this paper, we discuss why there is a need for clinicians to engage in supporting self-management for people with persistent back pain and which actions clinicians can take to integrate self-management support in their care for people with back pain.

DISCUSSION

People with low back pain (LBP) self-manage their pain most of the time. Therefore, clinicians and health systems should empower them to do it well and provide knowledge and skills to make good decisions related to LBP and general health. Self-management does not mean that people are alone and without health care, rather it empowers people to know when to consult for diagnostic assessment, symptom relief, or advice. A shift in health care paradigm and clinicians' roles is not only challenging for individual clinicians, it requires organisational support in clinical settings and health systems. Currently, there is no clear evidence showing how exactly LBP self-management is most effectively supported in clinical practice, but core elements have been identified that involve working with cognitions related to pain, behaviour change, and patient autonomy.

Long-term effectiveness of group-based diabetes self-management on glycosylated haemoglobin for people with type 2 diabetes in community: a protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The rapid rise in the prevalence of diabetes has a negative impact on patients' quality of life. Diabetes self-management group education is cost-effective and efficient for patients to control blood glucose. However, there are no consistent standards for self-management group education, and its long-term effects (≥12 months) are unclear. Although a few systematic reviews evaluated the long-term effects, they did not make clear provisions on the content of self-management, and the number and sample size of included studies were small, which may lead to misclassification bias and reporting bias. Therefore, we plan to conduct this systematic review to evaluate the long-term effects of self-management group education and determine the effects of different self-management characteristics on glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will retrieve Chinese databases (Wanfang, Chinese Hospital Knowledge Warehouse) and English databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, Web of Science, Bailian Platform, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar) for randomly controlled trials and cluster randomly controlled trials of which participants are adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We will manually search citation lists and trial registries, and consult authors to obtain relevant articles. The retrieval time range will be from the establishment of the database to July 2020 to avoid omitting relevant studies. The primary outcome will be HbA1c. The secondary outcomes will be fasting plasma glucose, postprandial blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference and death event. Two reviewers will independently conduct article screening and assessment of risk of bias, with a third reviewer arbitrating if necessary. We will give priority to the use of meta-analysis to evaluate the pooled effects of all outcomes. For the outcomes of unrecognised sources of heterogeneity, missing data and less than three related studies, narrative synthesis approach will be used.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required for this systematic review. We plan to present the findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, relevant and responsible organisations, and training meetings.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020209011.

Comparison of the effect of educational and self-management interventions on adherence to treatment in hemodialysis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Adherence to fluid intake, diet, and drug management is very important in hemodialysis patients. Educational and self-management interventions are frequently used to improve adherence to treatment in hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVES

To synthesize a comparison of the effect of educational and self-management interventions on adherence to treatment in hemodialysis patients in randomized controlled trials.

METHODS

Systematic searches were conducted using 11 multidisciplinary databases in June 2020. The PRISMA checklist was used. The subgroup analysis was used to compare the effect of educational and self-management interventions on adherence to fluid intake, diet, and drug management.

RESULTS

In the included studies, educational interventions were performed ranging from 15 to 60 minutes, in 1-72 sessions. Self-management interventions were performed ranging from 10 to 120 minutes, in 1-84 sessions. The overall effect of educational interventions was small on adherence to fluid intake (P = .019, Hedges' g = -0.39), diet in serum phosphorus level (P = .001, Hedges' g = -0.35), drug management (P = .002, Hedges' g = -0.44), and not significant on adherence to diet in serum potassium level (P = .181). The overall effect of self-management interventions was small on adherence to fluid intake (P = .001, Hedges' g = -0.19) and diet in serum phosphorus level (P < .001, Hedges' g = -0.42). Additionally, the overall effect of self-management interventions was moderate on adherence to diet in serum potassium level (P = .002, Hedges' g = -0.75) and drug management (P < .001, Hedges' g = -0.55). There was no difference between the educational and self-management interventions on adherence to fluid intake, diet, and drug management (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis shows that educational and self-management interventions had a beneficial effect on adherence to fluid intake, diet, and drug management and no difference between these interventions. Therefore, these interventions can be used by healthcare professionals. It is also recommended that these interventions be well defined and transferable to routine clinical practice.

Acceptability of online exercise-based interventions after breast cancer surgery: systematic review and narrative synthesis

PURPOSE

eHealth and mHealth approaches are increasingly used to support cancer survivors. This review aimed to examine adherence, acceptability and satisfaction with Internet-based self-management programmes for post-surgical cancer rehabilitation and to identify common components of such interventions.

METHODS

Nine electronic databases were searched from inception up to February 15, 2020, for relevant quantitative and qualitative studies evaluating Internet-based cancer rehabilitation interventions. Studies were required to include an exercise or physical activity-based self-management intervention and a measure of adherence, acceptability or user satisfaction with the programme. Two independent reviewers performed all data extraction and quality assessment procedures. Data were synthesized using a narrative approach.

RESULTS

Six hundred ninety-six potential papers were identified and screened. Eleven met the inclusion criteria. Interventions had wide variations in levels of adherence, but the majority were reported as being acceptable to the users. Increased acceptability and user satisfaction were associated with interventions which were seen as time and cost-efficient, requiring acquisition of minimal or no new skills, which used coherent language, or which provided tailored information. The majority contained behaviour change components such as goal setting.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite high levels of heterogeneity between studies, Internet-based approaches may be an acceptable method for the delivery of self-management interventions in post-surgical cancer rehabilitation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

There is a need for further studies exploring factors associated with increased user engagement and usage of digital interventions in cancer rehabilitation settings. These findings should be used to help develop interventions prior to testing their effectiveness in adequately powered randomized controlled trials.

Predictors of patient adherence to COPD self-management exacerbation action plans

OBJECTIVE

Identifying patient characteristics predicting categories of patient adherence to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbation action plans.

METHODS

Data were obtained from self-treatment intervention groups of two COPD self-management trials. Patients with ≥1 exacerbation and/or ≥1 self-initiated prednisolone course during one-year follow-up were included. Optimal treatment was defined as 'self-initiating prednisolone treatment ≤2 days from the onset of a COPD exacerbation'. Predictors of adherence categories were identified by multinomial logistic regression analysis using patient characteristics.

RESULTS

145 COPD patients were included and allocated to four adherence categories: 'optimal treatment' (26.2 %), 'sub optimal treatment' (11.7 %), 'significant delay or no treatment' (31.7 %), or 'treatment outside the actual exacerbation period' (30.3 %). One unit increase in baseline dyspnoea score (mMRC scale 0-4) increased the risk of 'significant delay or no treatment' (OR 1.64 (95 % CI 1.07-2.50)). Cardiac comorbidity showed a borderline significant increased risk of 'treatment outside the actual exacerbation period' (OR 2.40 (95 % CI 0.98-5.85)).

CONCLUSION

More severe dyspnoea and cardiac comorbidity may lower adherence to COPD exacerbation action plans.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Tailored self-management support with more focus on dyspnoea and cardiac disease symptoms may help patients to better act upon increased exacerbation symptoms and improve adherence to COPD exacerbation action plans.

Self-management support for people with non-specific low back pain: A qualitative survey among physiotherapists and exercise therapists

BACKGROUND

Low back pain (LBP) is a major problem across the globe and is the leading cause worldwide of years lost to disability. Self-management is considered an important component the treatment of people with non-specific LBP. However, it seems that the self-management support for people with non-specific LBP provided by physiotherapists can be improved. Moreover, the way exercise therapists (ET) address self-management in practice is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the ideas, opinions and methods used by physiotherapists and ET with regard to self-management and providing self-management support to patients with non-specific LBP.

METHODS

This study was a qualitative survey. An online questionnaire with open-ended questions was developed. The survey was conducted among physiotherapists and ET working in the Netherlands. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Respondents considered self-management support an important topic in physiotherapy and exercise therapy for people with non-specific LBP. In the self-management support provided by the respondents, providing information and advice were frequently mentioned. The topics included in the support given by the respondents covered a broad range of important factors. The topics frequently focused on biomechanical factors. The majority of respondents had a need with regard to self-management or providing self-management support. These needs include having more knowledge, skills and tools aimed at facilitating self-management.

CONCLUSION

The way physiotherapists and ET address self-management in people with non-specific LBP is not optimal and should be improved.

The effect of vibration therapy on neck myofascial trigger points: A randomized controlled pilot study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of low-frequency self-administered vibration therapy into myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius and levator scapulae on patients with chronic non-specific neck pain.

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients with chronic non-specific neck pain were randomly assigned into a vibration group, receiving 10 self-applied sessions of vibration therapy in the upper trapezius and levator scapulae trigger points; or a control group, receiving no intervention. Self-reported neck pain and disability (Neck Disability Index) and pressure pain threshold were assessed at baseline and after the first, fifth and 10th treatment sessions.

FINDINGS

Significant differences were found in the vibration group when compared to the control group after the treatment period: the vibration group reached lower Neck Disability Index scores (F = 4.74, P = .033, η² = 0.07) and greater pressure pain threshold values (F = 7.56, P = .01, η² = 0.10) than the control group. The vibration group reported a significant reduction in Neck Disability Index scores (χ2 = 19,35, P = .00, Kendall's W = 0.28) and an increase in pressure pain threshold (χ2 = 87,10, P = .00, Kendall's W = 0.73) between the assessment times over the course of the treatment. The mean increase in pressure pain threshold in the vibration group after the 10 sessions was 8.54 N/cm2, while the mean reduction in Neck Disability Index scores was 4.53 points.

INTERPRETATION

Vibration therapy may be an effective intervention for reducing self-reported neck pain and disability and pressure pain sensitivity in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain. This tool could be recommended for people with non-specific neck pain.

Self-Management Education for Persons with Parkinson's Disease and Their Care Partners: A Quasi-Experimental Case-Control Study in Clinical Practice

Background

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition with both physical and mental consequences that affect many aspects of everyday life. Persons with Parkinson's disease and their care partners want guidance from healthcare services in order to develop skills to adjust to life with a long-term condition. The Swedish National Parkinson School is a dyadic self-management programme to support both persons with Parkinson's disease and care partners.

Objective

To assess the outcomes of the Swedish National Parkinson School as reported by participants.

Design

A quasi-experimental case-control study in clinical care using self-reported questionnaires. Participants. Swedish National Parkinson School was offered by health care professionals working in clinical care. Participants in the programme were also asked to participate in the study. A matched control group was recruited for a comparison of findings. In total, 92 persons with Parkinson's disease and 55 care partners were included. Settings. Five Swedish geriatric and neurologic outpatient clinics.

Method

Data were collected during 2015–2017, before and after participation in the National Parkinson School or before and after seven weeks of standard care. Outcomes were assessed using generic and Parkinson's specific questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to describe baseline characteristics. Mann–Whitney U and Chi² tests were used to test for between-group differences and within-group differences were tested by the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test.

Results

Improvements regarding health status, constructive attitudes and approaches, and skill and technique acquisition were found after the intervention among persons with Parkinson's disease. No changes were found among care partners.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that the Swedish National Parkinson School may improve health status and self-management among persons with Parkinson's disease, but further studies are needed to better understand the effects of the programme.

Barriers and facilitators to implementation of epilepsy self-management programs: a systematic review using qualitative evidence synthesis methods

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy affects nearly 50 million people worldwide. Self-management is critical for individuals with epilepsy in order to maintain optimal physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Implementing and adopting a self-management program requires considering many factors at the person, program, and systems levels. We conducted a systematic review of qualitative and mixed-methods studies to identify facilitators and barriers that impact implementation and adoption of self-management programs for adults with epilepsy.

METHODS

We used established systematic review methodologies for qualitative and mixed-methods studies. We included studies addressing facilitators (i.e., factors that aided) or barriers (i.e., factors that impeded) to implementation and adoption of self-management interventions for adults with epilepsy. We conducted a narrative thematic synthesis to identify facilitators and barriers.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 2700 citations; 13 studies met eligibility criteria. Our synthesis identified five themes that categorize facilitators and barriers to successful implementation epilepsy self-management: (1) relevance, intervention content that facilitates acquisition of self-management skills; (2) personalization, intervention components that account for the individual's social, physical, and environmental characteristics; (3) intervention components, components and dosing of the intervention; (4) technology considerations, considerations that account for individual's use, familiarity with, and ownership of technology; and (5) clinician interventionist, role and preparation of the individual who leads intervention. We identified facilitators in 11 of the 13 studies and barriers in 11 of the 13 studies and classified these by social-ecological level (i.e., patient/caregiver, program, site/system).

CONCLUSION

Identification of facilitators and barriers at multiple levels provides insight into disease-specific factors that influence implementation and adoption of self-management programs for individuals with epilepsy. Our findings indicate that involving individuals with epilepsy and their caregivers in intervention development, and then tailoring intervention content during the intervention, can help ensure the content is relevant to intervention participants. Our findings also indicate the role of the clinician (i.e., the individual who provides self-management education) is important to intervention implementation, and key issues with clinicians were identified as barriers and opportunities for improvement. Overall, our findings have practical value for those seeking to implement and adopt self-management interventions for epilepsy and other chronic illnesses.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number is CRD42018098604.