Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP)

About the program: The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is a workshop for adults with at least one chronic health condition, which may include arthritis. It focuses on disease management skills including decision making, problem-solving, and action planning.

Objectives:

This interactive program aims to increase:

• Confidence
• Physical and psychological well-being
• Knowledge of ways to manage chronic conditions
• Motivation to manage challenges associated with chronic diseases

Target Audience:

• Adults with arthritis
• Adults with one or more chronic conditions
• Older adults

Key Activities:

• Interactive educational activities like discussions, brain storming, practice of action-planning and feedback, behavior modeling, problem-solving techniques, and decision making
• Also includes symptom management activities like exercise, relaxation, communication, healthy eating, medication management, and managing fatigue

Setting: Community/ Group-based workshop

Suggested class size: Between 10 and 16 participants

Duration: Participants meet for two hours once a week, for six weeks

Costs:

• Participant costs: Varies, but rarely more than $50 per participant
• Leader/ Host Costs:
  • License costs for the host organization for between $500 and $12,000 depending on the organization’s needs.
  • Leader training at between $200 and $400 per leader training

Program Requirements:

• Two leaders per workshop. These leaders can either be two peer health leaders or one health professional and one peer leader. At least one of the leaders should have a chronic condition.
• Leaders must be trained by the Self-Management Resource Center either in the San Francisco Bay Area or locally by a certified master trainer. Each training is four and a half days and taught in English or Spanish.
• A license purchased from the Self-Management Resource Center renewed every three years
• A community space that’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible, with enough space for leaders, participants, flip charts, a white board, and comfortable chairs
• Equipment: flip charts, markers, and a music player

More Information

• Self-Management Resource Center’s CDSMP webpage
• Find a CDSMP program in your area on the Evidence-Based Leadership Council’s Map of Programs
• ASMP/CDSMP Meta-Analysis Executive Summary [PDF – 1.19MB]
• Brief for Potential Referrers [PDF – 802KB]
• Brief for Potential Adopters [PDF – 1.94MB]