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]
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