Chronic disease self-management for individuals with stroke, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of people with neurological conditions who take the chronic disease self-management (CDSM) programme. The CDSM programme is used to teach skills to manage chronic conditions, and prevent secondary conditions. Few studies have explored the use of the CDSM programme with people with neurological conditions, in spite of the long standing and sometimes unpredictable nature of those conditions. Method. This qualitative study explored the experience of people with stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury (SCI) who participated in the CDSM programme. We completed individual interviews using a semi-structured interview guide with 22 individuals with stroke, MS and SCI. Results. Five categories emerged from the interview discussions including: (1) pre-programme influences; (2) group; (3) factors affecting learning opportunities; (4) workshop content and (5) outcomes. Conclusions. The results of this study provide insights regarding the optimal way to present the CDSM programme to people with neurological conditions.