Health literacy is essentially having the ability to obtain and understand healthcare related information to be well informed to make personal health decisions. There are two different forms of health literacy, personal and organizational. Personal health literacy is the degree to which an individual can use and comprehend healthcare knowledge to be able to make health decisions for either themselves or another. Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations are able to cater to their patients by making changes to improve communication. For instance, addressing and removing language barriers is crucial so patients can become more informed on their health status and make the right decisions for their health journey.
How can we utilize health literacy to enhance self management for chronic illnesses?
When making efforts to improve one’s health literacy and self efficacy, it is proven to have a positive influence on disease management as well. Especially with understanding e-health, which is the knowledge and ability to understand and correctly utilize health information through electronic devices and media, individuals or seniors can more easily decrease risk factors and closely monitor their health status. This then enables them to develop a plan to positively manage their health and continue to confidently execute the right steps towards wellness for their Chronic Disease Self Management program plan (CDSMP).
What is the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self Management system?
The Stanford University Chronic Disease Self Management system was a program developed by a group of researchers at Stanford to be done over the course of 15 weeks. This program’s objective was to help aid in the lives of people struggling with chronic diseases and to provide them with tools to help them engage in healthier and active living. The goal of the program was to meet for 2 and a half hours a week to set a health goal and a plan to be able to realistically execute that goal. Common goals for the program include addressing the health impacts their disease could be giving them (depression, pain, fatigue, etc.) and creating a plan to ease those negative health impacts. Some examples include incorporating exercise, nutritional meal plans, and medication management. Another technique that researchers wanted the group to implement in their plans was effectively communicating with their healthcare team, family, and friends.
Researchers concluded that with this Chronic Disease Self Management system (CDSMP), it can be proven that participants slowly are able to improve their quality of life. Examples include, decreased pain, increased energy, decreased depression and fatigue, better communication and health literacy with their physician, and increased confidence in managing their chronic disease. This program has multiple modes of delivery to cater to the individuals daily living; in person meetings, online meetings, and even asynchronously. Here is information regarding resource centers that can be used by individuals struggling with a chronic disease and wish to participate in this program.
In conclusion, by taking steps towards improving self efficacy, health literacy, and utilizing the Chronic Disease Self Management system (CDSMP), individuals can develop a positive care plan towards managing their disease. This will allow them to develop positive outcomes and many steps towards a better quality of life.
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By: Kelly Le
Senior Care Advising Intern at WellPath Partners
Healthcare Administration Student, California State University, Long Beach
