ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement A-K 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 36
WONCA 2023 Supplement 1: WONCA 2023 abstracts (A–K)
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Self-care and self-management: Enabling doctors to assist
patients to be agents rather than recipients of healthcare
A/Prof Katrina Anderson, Prof Christine Phillips, A/Prof Louise Stone
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Australian National University
In medical training there has long been a tension between the doctor-centred model in which the
doctor is expert and the patient-centred model in which the patient is the one who knows best how to
manage their care based on advice. Modern technology and access to information has transformed
the ability of patients to access latest evidence and to make their own judgements on what is best for
them. Patients generally are wanting to have more say, more control and responsibility for their health.
Orienting the institutional health lens towards patients as agents rather than recipients of healthcare is
a resource-efficient and people-centred approach that is crucial in many settings.
In Australia, health staff shortages exacerbated by the COVID pandemic has brought into sharp relief
the need for primary care doctors to support self-care for their patients. As defined by the WHO, selfcare is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain
health and to cope with illness and disability. Primary care is the ideal place for health professionals
to support the self-care of individuals who may engage in a range of self-management activities and
to continue to enhance the self-efficacy of individuals to manage their health proactively. The WHO
is developing new competencies for health workers to support and enhance the self-care of their
patients.
This interactive session will explore the concepts of self-care and self-management and consider
the challenges for patients and doctors navigating the complex world of medical information and
technology. What training is required for GP and primary care practitioners to enable them to support
patient self-care and thereby reduce the need for direct clinical care in stretched health systems?
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