Achieving a balanced life in the face of chronic illness.

The increasing prevalence of chronic disease is a driver of health system reform in most economically advanced nations. A consistent theme within these reforms is building greater patient-centredness into the health care delivery. This study aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the experience of patients and family carers affected by chronic illness that will be the basis on which to propose policy and health system interventions that are patient-centred.

The experience of living with chronic heart failure: a narrative review of qualitative studies.

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the leading cause of all hospitalisations and readmissions in older people, accounting for a large proportion of developed countries' national health care expenditure. CHF can severely affect people's quality of life by reducing their independence and ability to undertake certain activities of daily living, as well as affecting their psychosocial and economic capacity. This paper reports the findings of a systematic narrative review of qualitative studies concerning people's experience of living with CHF, aiming to develop a wide-ranging understanding of what is known about the patient experience.

Chronic disease self-management support: the way forward for Australia.

We examined research and implementation activities presented at the Centre for Rheumatic Diseases 2007 Conference and other selected literature to identify common themes and posit some "next steps" required to develop self-management programs in the Australian context. Self-management and self-management support are key aspects of optimal chronic disease care, and are effective if implemented appropriately. Health literacy is the foundation for self-management programs and should be fostered within the whole population.