"Self care is about people's attitudes and lifestyle, as well as what they can do to take care of themselves when they have a health problem. Supporting self care is about increasing people's confidence and self esteem, enabling them to take decisions about the sensible care of their health and avoiding triggering health problems. Although many people are already practising self care to some extent, there is a great deal more that they can do." - Ruth Chambers, Gill Wakley and Alison Blenkinsopp, in the Preface. Designed around the Department of Health's Working in Partnership Programme, this book is full of easy-to-implement advice for everyday use, promoting a positive approach to self care and demonstrating how smoothly it can be introduced and undertaken. "Supporting Self Care in Primary Care" encourages interactive professional learning and development, both individually and within a team, and highlights the importance and benefits of self care in the workplace. It is a self-contained text with tools and illustrative examples to aid comprehension, and includes a complementary web resource containing further tools and a training package. All healthcare professionals involved in commissioning or providing primary care to patients will find this practical guide invaluable, as will healthcare managers and health promotion specialists.

In January 2004, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) hosted the 1st Annual Crossing the Quality Chasm Summit, convening a group of national and community health care leaders to pool their knowledge and resources with regard to strategies for improving patient care for five common chronic illnesses. This summit was a direct outgrowth and continuation of the recommendations put forth in the 2001 IOM report Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. The summit's purpose was to offer specific guidance at both the community and national levels for overcoming the challenges to the provision of high-quality care articulated in the Quality Chasm report and for moving closer to achievement of the patient-centerd health care system envisioned therein.

Self-care interventions are among the most promising and exciting new approaches to improve health and well-being, both from a health systems perspective and for people who use these interventions. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses the following working definition of self-care: Self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker. The scope of self-care as described in this definition includes health promotion; disease prevention and control; self-medication; providing care to dependent persons; seeking hospital/specialist/primary care if necessary; and rehabilitation, including palliative care. It includes a range of self-care modes and approaches. While this is a broad definition that includes many activities, it is important for health policy to recognize the importance of self-care, especially where it intersects with health systems and health professionals. Worldwide, an estimated shortage of 18 million health workers is anticipated by 2030, a record 130 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, and disease outbreaks are a constant global threat. At least 400 million people worldwide lack access to the most essential health services, and every year 100 million people are plunged into poverty because they have to pay for health care out of their own pockets. There is an urgent need to find innovative strategies that go beyond the conventional health sector response. While "self-care" is not a new term or concept, self-care interventions have the potential to increase choice, when they are accessible and affordable, and they can also provide more opportunities for individuals to make informed decisions regarding their health and health care. In humanitarian settings, for example, due to lack of or limited health infrastructure and medical services in the crisis-affected areas, self-care could play an important role to improve health-related outcomes. Self-care also builds upon existing movements, such as task sharing, which are powerful strategies to support health systems.

The development of the Chronic Care Model (CCM) for the care of patients with chronic diseases has focused on the integration of taking charge of the patient and his family within primary care. The major critical issues in the implementation of the CCM principles are the non-application of the best practices, defined by EBM guidelines, the lack of care coordination and active follow-up of clinical outcomes, and by inadequately trained patients, who are unable to manage their illnesses. This book focuses on these points: the value of an integrated approach to some chronic conditions, the value of the care coordination across the continuum of the illness, the importance of an evidence-based management, and the enormous value of the patients involvement in the struggle against their conditions, without forgetting the essential role of the caregivers and the community when the diseases become profoundly disabling.

Drawing on input from people with long-term ailments, this book points the way to achieving the best possible life under the circumstances.

"Nurses play a vital role in improving the safety and quality of patient car -- not only in the hospital or ambulatory treatment facility, but also of community-based care and the care performed by family members. Nurses need know what proven techniques and interventions they can use to enhance patient outcomes. To address this need, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), with additional funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has prepared this comprehensive, 1,400-page, handbook for nurses on patient safety and quality -- Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. (AHRQ Publication No. 08-0043)." - online AHRQ blurb, http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nurseshdbk/

Many of us are running on empty and on autopilot, neglecting our health. We are challenged by severe time constraints and great expectations to do more with less, resulting in strained tolerances, shortened and divided attention spans, and sudden injury, illness, or crisis that halt us in our tracks. THERE IS A BETTER WAY. Effective self-care is about recognizing our values, beliefs, influences, perspectives, and motivations that drive our behaviors and shape our outcomes. This book highlights the challenges faced in our healthcare system and offers insights and resources to support living a healthier and happier life. It is a guide for healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and organizations. It proposes that we explore how we define, manage, deliver, experience, and MODEL care. It calls for a paradigm shift to a more engaged, transparent, and collaborative model that has an emphasis on self-care.

Interpersonal trauma is ubiquitous and its impact on health has long been understood. Recently, however, the critical importance of this issue has been magnified in the public eye. A burgeoning literature has demonstrated the impact of traumatic experiences on mental and physical health, and many potential interventions have been proposed. This volume serves as a detailed, practical guide to trauma-informed care. Chapters provide guidance to both healthcare providers and organizations on strategies for adopting, implementing and sustaining principles of trauma-informed care. The first section maps out the scope of the problem and defines specific types of interpersonal trauma. The authors then turn to discussion of adaptations to care for special populations, including sexual and gender minority persons, immigrants, male survivors and Veterans as these groups often require more nuanced approaches. Caring for trauma-exposed patients can place a strain on clinicians, and approaches for fostering resilience and promoting wellness among staff are presented next. Finally, the book covers concrete trauma-informed clinical strategies in adult and pediatric primary care, and women’s health/maternity care settings. Using a case-based approach, the expert authors provide real-world front line examples of the impact trauma-informed clinical approaches have on patients’ quality of life, sense of comfort, and trust. Case examples are discussed along with evidence based approaches that demonstrate improved health outcomes. Written by experts in the field, Trauma-Informed Healthcare Approaches is the definitive resource for improving quality care for patients who have experienced trauma.