Blue Mountains GP Network Chronic Disease Self-Management Project

The Blue Mountains GP Network (BMGPN) received funding from the Federal Department of Health and Ageing through the Chronic Disease Self-Management/Lifestyle and Risk Modification Grants program to implement the Chronic Disease Self-Management Project from 1 July 2009 to the end of May 2010. The BMGPN Chronic Disease Self-Management Project developed a number of objectives and initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of self-management programs and techniques in the local area, including implementing ‘Moving On’, a generic self-management course developed by Arthritis NSW and designed to increase people’s knowledge and skills to enable them to self-manage their chronic conditions more effectively.

The Moving On program was structured into seven sessions conducted over seven weeks in three hour blocks. The sessions covered: managing fatigue and physical activity; healthy eating and leisure; coping; stress management; relaxation; sleeping; medications and working with the health care team. Each Moving On session was facilitated by a health professional and a lay leader. The lay leader was someone with a chronic condition who could provide input from their personal experience and could provide a positive role model for participants. The health professional leader contributes their technical knowledge and skills plus ensures that information was evidence-based, verifiable and correct. An evaluation of the Project was undertaken by members of the Serious Continuing Illness Policy and Practice Study (SCIPPS) team based at the Menzies Centre for Health Policy (MCHP), University of Sydney. The "Report of the evaluation of the Blue Mountains GP network chronic disease self-management project" is now available.