MHSC8114 The Person's Experience of Self-Management

2019

4.5

1 x 6-hour independent study weekly
1 x 10-hour on-line exercises weekly
1 x 30-hour project work once-only

MHSC8104 has been successfully completed

An undergraduate qualification and experience in a health science or health-related discipline (including nursing, allied health professionals and welfare sector). Other health workers by negotiation with the course coordinator.

Students will be expected to have current or recent experience of working in the health, welfare or disability sector involving the management of or support to people with chronic conditions

This topic will give students to opportunity to develop an holistic understanding of the issues related to chronic condition self-management from the perspective of the person with the chronic condition. In the context of other topics with this Graduate Certificate, this topic offers a more eclectic understanding of the impact of chronic illness for the person. It therefore has appeal to students in the health, social and welfare sector and their related professionals disciplines and knowledge bases.

Assignments; Fieldwork

Chronic condition self-management is ultimately about improving health outcomes and quality of life for people with chronic conditions. Through case studies, personal research and role play exercises, students of this topic will be encouraged to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the experiences of people with chronic conditions, their interactions with health systems and their use of self management techniques and models. An appreciation of how lifestyle choices and the social determinants of health and illness relate to the person's motivation to change their behaviour, and their attempts to manage their lives, is essential to this topic. Students will develop an understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of effective self-management for and by the person.

1. To enhance students understanding of the persons experience of illness, diagnosis and disability as part of building ethical, client-centered practice.

2. To apply this understanding to enhance students interaction with and support to people with chronic illness and enhance their understanding of the person's experience of interaction with health systems.

3. To enhance students understanding of how to support recovery via the management and self-management of chronic conditions by the person in their environment.

4. To develop a comprehensive understanding of resilience and the process of change, including the barriers and enabling factors within the person and their environment that impact on their capacity to self-manage effectively.

5. Analyse and evaluate existing self-management support programs and resources that exist for people with chronic conditions, their carers, families.

On successful completion of this topic students will be able to:

• Effectively provide more person-centred support to people with chronic conditions as a consequence of more fully understanding the person’s experience of chronic illness

• Effectively provide more culturally sensitive support to people with chronic conditions as a consequence of more fully understanding the person’s experience of chronic illness within their socio-cultural context

• Support health professionals and other support providers to adopt practices and create healthcare delivery systems that enhance their ability to partner patients/clients to manage their chronic conditions

• Critically and ethically analyse the range of responses people have to chronic illness and the potential reasons for this in order to understand the underlying processes and identify the person’s readiness and capacity to make health behaviour change

• Articulate the complexity of the experience of chronic illness for the person as subjective, interpersonal and social, with successful self-management involving not only disease management, but also role and emotional management as part of ethical practice

• Understand the trajectory of chronic illnesses, from diagnosis to palliation, and how this influences the person’s responses to self-management and their interaction with the health system

• Critically analyse and evaluate their own approach to people with chronic conditions

• Respond more effectively to the needs of people with chronic conditions.