Letter to Editor Re: Tulu, Cook, Oman, Meek, and Gudina's article, Chronic disease self‐care: A concept analysis (2021)

Abstract

In summary, we applaud Tulu et al. for taking on this ambitious project. We agree that theoretical developments in the field of selfcare are key. To this aim, future research is needed to corroborate available knowledge of the antecedents and consequences of selfcare, testing existing propositions in different cultures, settings, or diseases. Studies are needed to clarify the impact of symptom monitoring, recognition, and management on decision-making and self-care behaviors. Furthermore, qualitative designs could contribute to a deeper comprehension of the experience of self-care in patients with chronic illness and their caregivers. Finally, although self-care is known to be relevant, people with chronic illness struggle to perform adequate self-care, experiencing barriers at the individual and social levels. Thus, future research developing and testing complex interventions to improve self-care of chronic illness is strongly needed.

Exploring the self-care experiences of adults with heart failure in Australia: a qualitative study

“…At the same time, numerous interventions have been introduced to support the adoption of self-care in daily life, but the overall evidence in support of these interventions to improve outcomes for people with heart failure is inconsistent [13][14][15]. This, alongside the variation in how self-care is defined and understood across disciplines, has generated confusion and debates concerning the adoption and operationalisation of self-care and related interventions [16][17][18].…”