How the programme works

The majority of our self-management programmes are delivered over six weekly sessions of 2½ hours. They are for anyone with any long-term health condition(s) and are typically delivered by two trained tutors who are also living with a long-term health condition.

Course topics

Through structured sessions, course participants learn how to:

Set goals and make action plans
Problem solve
Develop their communication skills
Manage their emotions
Pace daily activities
Manage relationships with family, friends and work colleagues
Communicate with health and social care professionals
Find other health care resources in the community
Understand the importance of exercise, keeping active and healthy eating
Manage fatigue, sleep, pain, anger and depression.

Range of courses

Our original and most popular course, the generic Chronic Disease Self-management Course (CDSMC) – originally developed by Stanford University, California – is open to anyone with any long-term health condition. It is run over six weekly sessions of 2½ hours by two trained tutors (also living with a long-term health condition) and looks at things like managing pain, coping with feelings of stress and depression, healthy living and exercise.

In response to feedback we have expanded our portfolio of products to meet different peoples’ needs. Our range of courses now includes:

Substance and Alcohol Misuse (SAM)
For people in recovery from substance and alcohol misuse (SAM).

New Beginnings
For people living with, or in recovery from, a mental health condition.

Looking after Me (LAM)
For carers of adults who are living with a long-term condition or disability.

Supporting Parents Programme
For parents or carers of children who have long-term or life-limiting conditions.

Persistent Pain Programme
For people living with persistent pain.

Course for people with learning difficulties
This is an adapted version of the generic self management course.

Wise Up
For health and social care practitioners who want to increase their awareness of self-management.

Prison courses
Self-management course for people with long term health conditions.

Forward Steps
For people living with a living with a long-health condition and want to return to work.

Online course
For people whose health conditions may prevent them from accessing a community course.

These courses follow the same principles of being lay-led self-management programmes but have been developed to target specific audiences and provide relevant outcomes.

Self Care for everyone

EPP CIC is keen to promote self-care and healthy well-being not only to people living with long-term health conditions but to everyone. In June 2008, EPP CIC took over the NHS Working in Partnership Programme’s (WiPP) suite of self-care resources including the Self Care Connect website (www.selfcareconnect.co.uk). Included in this are two self care training courses; ‘Self Care for You’ and ‘Self Care for Primary Care’. Both provide skills and advice to help people engage in self-care to improve their lifestyle and develop positive health behaviours.

For full details of all of available products please contact your local regional office.

Research

Different pieces of research (external and internal) have demonstrated the benefits attending a self-management course can have. Headline data from two pieces can be found below and additional research can be found in our publications section.

Results from internal research (EPP Internal Monitoring Results – Expert Patients Programme, 2005) shows the impact effective self-management can have on the health service. Data from approximately 1000 EPP course questionnaires (Jan 2003 – Jan 2005) showed that, four to six months after completing the course:

GP consultations decreased by 7%
Outpatient visits decreased by 10%
A&E attendances decreased by 16%
Pharmacy visits increased by 18%.

In addition to this, key research findings from a randomised trial carried out by the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre (Rogers A; Bower P; Gardner H; Gravelle H; Kennedy A; Reeves D – 2007) found that course participants have:

Improved partnerships with doctors
Increased confidence to manage their condition
Improved quality of life and psychological wellbeing
Increased energy
A high satisfaction with the course.

Referring patients

If you have a patient who is living with a long-term health condition who you think could benefit from attending a self-management course then there are two ways you can signpost them to EPP CIC:

Provide them with the details of our website (where they will be able to find out which courses are available in their area) and/or the local freephone number. They will then be able to call the local team and book a place on a course.
Through a direct mailing to all your patients living with a long term condition. Contact your local regional office for more details about how we can support your surgery to do this.

What course participants say:

Lizzie - South Yorkshire

"Now I achieve what I set out to do and I have learnt that tomorrow is another day!"

I have lived with multiple long-term health conditions including a debilitating connective tissue disorder, arthritis, osteopenia and heart disease for over 20 years. I have had problems with my neck, arms and hands due to ‘cervical ribs’ for most of my life. During that time I have undergone many surgeries and had to make many changes to my life as a result.