The Department of Health’s Expert Patient Programme recognises the role of selfmanagement
in many different disease areas and its report Self Care recommends the
concept of encouraging people with long-term conditions to self-manage where
possible. Diabetes management would never succeed without the active participation of
the person with the condition and asthma management plans have been advocated for some
time for people with asthma. What can self-management plans achieve in chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD)?
