The UK Expert Patients Program: lessons learned and implications for cancer survivors' self-care support programs

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Patient Self-Management

Background:

• Self-care is crucial for chronic disease management globally.
• The UK's Expert Patients Program (EPP) is a key self-care policy initiative.
• EPP is based on the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP).

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze evaluations of EPP and CDSMP.
• To explore implications for developing self-management programs for cancer survivors.

Main Methods:

• Review of evaluations of CDSMP and EPP.
• Analysis of program strengths and contextual challenges.
• Qualitative assessment of peer support and learning.

Main Results:

• CDSMP and EPP improved participants' self-efficacy and health status.
• No significant reduction in healthcare utilization was observed for EPP.
• Qualitative data highlighted peer support as a key strength of EPP.
• Identified challenges included recruitment, clinician engagement, and inflexible materials.

Conclusions:

• Lay-led self-care programs like EPP positively impact self-efficacy.
• These programs may benefit cancer survivors.
• Lessons learned from EPP implementation are crucial for future initiatives.