Illness self-management

Illness self-management is the set of activities, skills, and behaviors individuals undertake to control, treat, and live with chronic health conditions. Self-management programs aim to increase patient autonomy, confidence, and participation in their own care by teaching decision-making, problem solving, resource utilization, partnership with providers, and tailored action plans for health behavior change. These approaches are based on self-efficacy theory—an individual’s belief in their capability to manage their condition—and are central to modern chronic disease care. They are supported through health education, peer support, coaching, and system-level healthcare interventions, and are most commonly used in chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and depression

Other names

Self-managementChronic disease self-managementPatient self-managementSupported self-managementSelf-management education