Self-management education (SME) is defined as a systematic intervention that involves the person with diabetes’ active participation in their self-monitoring (physiological processes) and/or decision-making (managing). It recognises that patient-provider collaboration and the enablement of problem-solving skills are crucial to the individual’s ability for sustained self-care.
Self-management education refers to any educational processes that provide persons with the knowledge, skills and motivation required to inform decisions and increase the individual’s capacity and confidence to apply these skills in daily life situations.
The content and skill-training components of SME must be individualised according to the type of diabetes and recommended therapy, the patient’s ability, barriers, motivation for learning and change, culture, literacy level and available resources.
Self-management support refers to policies and people that may support the continuation of self-management behaviours across the lifespan but that are not specific to educational processes (Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee 2013).
