'Self-care' and its relevance to developing demand management strategies: a review of qualitative research

The promotion of self-care has been recognized as an important aspect of ma naging demand for health care more effectively. Self-care is increasingly b eing seen by policy makers as a hidden health care resource to be viewed in the context of health care provided by the formal health care sector. Quan titative studies are important for understanding the effectiveness of inter ventions in terms of the impact they may have on health service utilization . However, questions remain about the reasons people may or may not adopt s elf-care, the mechanisms for change and the way in which social context may affect the way in which people respond to self-care interventions. Qualita tive research that has focused on people's self-care practices provide insi ghts into these aspects. The qualitative studies reviewed here suggest that a number of factors need to be considered when devising health care interv entions for managing demand better. These include an assessment of the mean ing of the disease to the person so that self-care information can be desig ned in a way that fits people's prior beliefs and lifestyles. Timing and th e stage in a person's illness career are also important factors to consider when designing effective self-care interventions. Social interaction and t he impact of significant others may affect whether or not a self-care regim e is followed, and autonomy and control are also relevant to designing acce ptable self-care strategies. Incorporating these aspects of self-care as a dynamic and interactive process is important for both devising and assessin g the impact of interventions aimed at the better management of demand.