Self-management support in flemish primary care practice: the development of a preliminary conceptual model using a qualitative approach

Lotte Timmermans; Dagje Boeykens; Mustafa Muhammed Sirimsi; Peter Decat; Veerle Foulon; Ann Van Hecke; Mieke Vermandere; Birgitte Schoenmakers; Primary Care Academy

doi:10.1186/s12875-022-01652-8

Self-management support in flemish primary care practice: the development of a preliminary conceptual model using a qualitative approach

BMC Prim Care. 2022 Mar 31;23(1):63. doi: 10.1186/s12875-022-01652-8.

Authors

Lotte Timmermans¹, Dagje Boeykens^{2

3}, Mustafa Muhammed Sirimsi^{4

5}, Peter Decat⁶, Veerle Foulon⁷, Ann Van Hecke^{8

9}, Mieke Vermandere¹⁰, Birgitte Schoenmakers¹⁰; Primary Care Academy

Collaborators

Primary Care Academy:
Roy Remmen, Emily Verté, Muhammed Mustafa Sirimsi, Peter Van Bogaert, Hans De Loof, Kris Van den Broeck, Sibyl Anthierens, Ine Huybrechts, Peter Raeymaeckers, Veerle Buffel, Dirk Devroey, Bert Aertgeerts, Birgitte Schoenmakers, Lotte Timmermans, Veerle Foulon, Anja Declerq, Dominique Van de Velde, Pauline Boeckxstaens, An De Sutter, Patricia De Vriendt, Lies Lahousse, Peter Pype, Dagje Boeykens, Ann Van Hecke, Peter Decat, Rudi Roose, Sandra Martin, Erica Rutten, Sam Pless, Anouk Tuinstra, Vanessa Gauwe, Didier Reynaert, Leen Van Landschoot, Maja Lopez Hartmann, Tony Claeys, Hilde Vandenhoudt, Kristel De Vliegher, Susanne Op de Beeck

Affiliations

¹ Academic Centre of General Practice, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7, Box 7001, 3000, Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. lotte.timmermans@kuleuven.be.
² Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
³ Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁴ Centre for research and innovation in care, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁵ Department of Primary Care, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁶ General Practice and Primary Health Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁷ Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
⁸ Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, Hecke University, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁹ Department Nursing Director, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
¹⁰ Academic Centre of General Practice, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Abstract

Background: Coping with a chronic disease can be really challenging. Self-management represents a promising strategy to improve daily life experiences. The role of primary healthcare professionals cannot be underestimated in supporting self-management. Due to a shortage of theory, implementation of self-management support is hindered in primary care practice. The aim of this study is to create a conceptual model for self-management support by analysing patients' care experiences towards self-management support.

Methods: An explorative-descriptive qualitative study was conducted in Flanders, Belgium. Semi-structured interviews were performed with 16 patients and their informal caregiver (dyads) using a purposive sampling strategy and processed by an inductive content analysis, according to Graneheim and Lundman.

Results: Interviews revealed in-depth insights into patients' care experiences. A conceptual model was developed for primary care practice, including five fundamental tasks for healthcare professionals - Supporting, Involving, Listening, Coordinating and Questioning (SILCQ) - contributing to the support of self-management of chronic patients.

Conclusions: This qualitative paper emphasises the use of the SILCQ-model to develop optimal roadmaps and hands-on toolkits for healthcare professionals to support self-management. The model needs to be further explored by all stakeholders to support the development of self-management interventions in primary care practice.

Keywords: Health personnel; Patients; Primary health care; Qualitative research; Self-management.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adaptation, Psychological
Caregivers
Humans
Primary Health Care
Qualitative Research
Self-Management*