Self-management

Attending pulmonary rehabilitation classes may be the first time the concept of self-management has been introduced to the patient/client.

Self-management is the name often given to a set of approaches which aim to enable people living with long-term conditions to take control and manage their own health and put them in the "driving seat" of their care. (Scottish Government)

There are several ways to help your patients/clients on the road to self-management, empowering them to take charge of their own health, building their resilience and working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team:

• Goal setting.
• Behavior change.
• Shared decision making.
• Signposting or referring on.

You can use one or a combination of these tools to help your patient/client to self-manage. To find out more about supported self-management see the Management module.