Chronic Disease Self-Management Program

Local health care leaders are collaborating to bring the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) to our communities - for FREE. The program is for any adult with a chronic health condition and his/her caregivers. Chronic conditions include any health issue that presents barriers to everyday life, such as arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and respiratory disease. Workshop topics include:

• Pain management
• Effective problem solving
• Decision making
• Weekly goal setting
• Working with your healthcare team
• Dealing with difficult emotions
• Nutrition
• Physical activity

Groups of 10 to 16 adults, over the age of 18, meet for 2 ½ hours once a week for six weeks. Facilitators are trained leaders and are overseen by a Master Trainer for fidelity. Developed at Stanford University Medical School almost 30 years ago, CDSMP has been translated into over 20 languages and the program is used world-wide. It has continually been tested and researched to reflect the latest techniques in health education.

A three-year study was conducted in 1996 by the Stanford Patient Education Research Center to develop, test and evaluate a self-management program for people with chronic health problems. CDSMP is a workshop where people with different chronic diseases attend together. CDSMP has been proven to contribute to improvements in both psychological and physical health status, self-efficacy, and selected health behaviors. Many of these improvements are maintained over 12 months, according to a meta-analysis using data from more than 20 studies. The association of CDSMP with positive improvements is self-reported by participants from pre- and post-workshop surveys. Furthermore, cost savings outcomes of a national study of CDSMP 12-month study in 2012 show a $740 per person savings in ER and hospital utilization (NCOA 2013).

Both the coaching of participants and group support builds self-activation and confidence. A recent Williamsburg participant shared "I'm very impressed with its relevance to so many people's lives, and so many different chronic diseases! I like the way the facilitators help students become actively engaged in each session of the class. From the very beginning, the students learn to THINK about the concepts presented, set goals, and apply them to their own health challenges. This program is a valuable LIFESTYLE program -- not a theoretical class that gets filed away in a cabinet after the class ends. In just a few sessions, I can already see that the program is making a positive difference. I believe the lifestyle changes and helpful mindsets we're learning in the program will last over time."

Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health has partnered with area health departments, area agencies on aging, and several community organizations interested in bringing this empowering program to our region's communities for free, through a Department of Aging and Rehabilitation Services grant.

For further information on participating, hosting or becoming a CDSMP facilitator, call (757) 856-7030 or visit us online at www.excellenceinaging.org/cdsmp.html

References

Brady, Teresa J. Executive Summary of ASMP/CDSMP
Meta-Analyses. CDC, May 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/docs/ASMP-executive-summary.pdf

Kim Weitzenhofer is Director of Community Relations with the Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health in Williamsburg, Virginia. Ms. Weitzenhofer earned her Master in Public Health from the University of California at Los Angeles. She is a licensed and experienced Nursing Home Administrator and Certified Senior Advisor. In February 2013, she was awarded a grant from the Virginia Department of Health to implement and evaluate Stanford's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) within four sites of Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. She manages Riverside Senior Care Navigation, a community-based care coordination conduit. Ms. Weitzenhofer coordinates and co-facilitates Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops in collaboration with community partners such as PAA, SSSEVA, York County Community Services, Newport News Parks and Recreation, and Peninsula Health District.