Helping Patients to Self-Manage their Long Term Conditions: Evidence-based approaches

Self-management of long-term conditions involves engaging with health enhancing behaviours (e.g. taking medications, making changes to diet, physical activity, attending appointments, self-monitoring) and refraining from health damaging behaviours (e.g. drinking, smoking, overeating), while coping with the impacts of illness on work, leisure, relationships and mood. To understand how people do this, we need to draw on research in health psychology. In this inaugural seminar, Health Psychologist, Dr Kate Hamilton-West, provides an overview of key models and theories used to explain individual variability in health-related behaviour and considers how these can be applied to help people self-manage their long term condition. Examples of evidence-based interventions are presented and discussed.