Chronic disease self-management: an evolutionary concept analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a concept analysis examining chronic disease self-management in aging adults from a system level perspective. Using Rodgers and Knafl‟s evolutionary methodology, literature from nursing and other disciplines was selected. Three sets of paired attributes; knowledge/education, relationship/partnership, self-monitoring/self-care and one umbrella attribute; action skills were identified. The results revealed that variability exists in how self-management is understood and applied amongst the disciplines, and that a knowledge gap exists within the nursing literature in relation to aging adults and self-management at the system level. However, relative to the literature from other disciplines, nursing has devoted more attention to the development of theory focusing on self-management, and two system level theoretical frameworks were identified that may support analysis of the attributes presented here.