Hui Elsie, Chan Wayne LS, Wong Shirley K, Wong Rita P, Li Siu F and Woo Jean
Aim and objectives: The objectives of the present study are to identify characteristics which influence outcomes of the chronic disease self management programme (CDSMP), and to compare the outcomes of lay versus professional- led CDSMP.
Background: Chronic Disease Self-Management Programme (CDSMP) is a widely accepted intervention for people with chronic diseases. However, whether it benefits all types of patients remains controversial. Moreover, the efficacy of classes taught by older lay leaders compared with professionals needs further evaluation.
Method: 567 community-dwelling persons aged ≥ 55 years with at least one chronic disease were recruited from various community settings. Participants were assigned to either an intervention or a control group. The intervention group was further allocated to standardised CDSMP courses led by professional or older lay leaders. Outcome measures included self-management behaviours, self-efficacy, health status and health care utilization. Two-way ANCOVA was used to compare outcomes of participants from different subgroups of age, education and frailty levels. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the outcomes of lay and professional-taught groups.
Results: The post-hoc subgroup analysis revealed that in certain domains, subjects who were older, less educated and frailer experienced better outcomes than other subgroups. Overall, the outcomes of lay-taught and professional- taught classes were not significantly different.
Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that even ‘disadvantaged’ patients can benefit from CDSMP. Moreover, older persons can be trained to lead the programme as effectively as professiona