Self-management among community-dwelling people with chronic conditions: Adapting evidence-based group programs using intervention mapping.

Abstract

Self-management is a core theme within chronic care and several evidence-based interventions (EBIs) exist to promote self-management ability. However, these interventions cannot be adapted in a mere copy-paste manner. The current study describes and demonstrates a planned approach in adapting EBI's in order to promote self-management in community-dwelling people with chronic conditions. We used Intervention Mapping (IM) to increase the intervention's fit with a new context. IM helps researchers to take decisions about whether and what to adapt, while maintaining the working ingredients of existing EBI's. We present a case study in which we used IM to adapt EBI's to the Flemish primary care context to promote self-management in people with one or more chronic disease. We present the reader with a contextual analysis, intervention aims, and content, sequence and scope of the resulting intervention. IM provides an excellent framework in providing detailed guidance on intervention adaption to a new context, while preserving the essential working ingredients of EBI's. The case study is exemplary for public health researchers and practitioners as a planned approach to seek and find EBI's, and to make adaptations.