A framework for the study of self- and family management of chronic conditions

With an increasing emphasis on consumer responsibility for health, more research is needed to understand, develop, and test new interventions to enhance self- and family management toward better outcomes in people with chronic conditions. In the Center for Self-Management Interventions at the Yale School of Nursing, we have developed a framework to guide our research efforts. Based on the literature, the framework is intended to specify key aspects of self- and family management, therein providing direction for future research and further development and testing of a theory of self- and family management of illness. Both individuals and families participate in the management of chronic conditions. Risk and protective factors influence individuals’ and families’ abilities to manage chronic illness and, as such, may be the target of interventions in support of self- and family management. Certain outcomes may be associated with effective self- and family management. Interventions to enhance self-management can address risk and protective factors or focus on altering self- and family management behaviors with the goal of improving outcomes.