“This book is my life…”: a qualitative feasibility study on the use of a self-management support tool

Abstract

As self-management support is a cost-effective way to enable patients to take an active role in managing their own condition and to address the chronic disease burden, there is a need for contextually appropriate self-management support tools. This study explored the feasibility of using a contextually adapted self-management care-plan booklet for diabetes and hypertension for use in medical consultations in a middle-income country. Focus groups and individual interviews with patients and health care providers were conducted in three primary health care facilities. Four relevant focus areas for feasibility studies were used as the lens for data analysis: acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality. The study revealed a high acceptance of the care-plan booklet by both patients and providers. Patients reported that the booklet increased their knowledge of their conditions. They also indicated that they would share the booklet with friends and families and expressed the need to use it with their providers. Providers mentioned that community health workers and health promoters could play an important role in implementing the tool. The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge base needed for the development and adoption of the self-management component of the South African integrated chronic diseases model. The care-plan booklet can be used to stimulate the interaction between patients, providers and/or family and friends.