Grant: Knowledge Synthesis Grant

Programs that support individuals to better manage their chronic conditions in daily life (self-management programs) are becoming more common in Canada. However, people working in government, health authorities, illness organizations, professional organizations and clinical care settings have insufficient information to know which programs are best for which groups of individuals in which environments. It is particularly challenging to know which programs best meet the needs of groups who experience more social hardships in daily life (for example, people with low levels of income and/or education, live in rural locations or are immigrants, ethnic minorities or elderly). Current attempts at combining knowledge on these programs have not fully considered how the barriers people face greatly impact on how they are able to take care of their illnesses and on how they access and use these programs. This study uses a process of combining knowledge (realist synthesis) from a wide range of sources (academic journals, conferences, and government, non-profit, and health care provider organizations) in a way that will enable us to gain a better understanding of which programs work for which groups, in what circumstances, in what ways and why. The research will be conducted by a team of people who have front-line experience working with and providing care to individuals living with chronic conditions and researchers who have expertise in this field of study. The study will try and determine how the information can be used to develop more accessible and appropriate self-management programs for people with disadvantage in Canada. The findings will be presented to the general public and communities living with chronic conditions by giving presentations at illness-related organizations, community centres and libraries, holding information sessions on-line and developing user-friendly resource tools for front-line workers and individuals living with long term illnesses.