[Self-care--the contribution of nursing sciences to health care]

The future development of the German health care system needs to recognize patient views of medical treatment in order to foster their health care responsibility. In nursing sciences, practice and clinical research are based on the concepts of self-help and self-care. The principle of Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory (S-CDNT), developed by the American nursing scientist D.E. Orem, defines self-care as a trainable and deliberate practice. The theory describes, among other factors, general and situation-specific needs of self-care and dependence care, forms of self-care com petence, and self-care deficit. Clinical studies have focused on self-care activities and deficits of particular patient groups, testing the effectiveness of care interventions. In view of the changes in the German health system (e.g., diagnosis-related groups, reduction of hospitalization periods), the S-CDNT is relevant not only for the treatment of individual patients, but also for the management of care provision. The fostering of self-care and dependence-care competence is an important tool to increase the autonomy of affected patients and their families, as well as to reduce the costs of health care.