Self-management interventions for people with physical disabilities who have chronic conditions: A scoping review

Abstract

Self-management interventions help improve health behaviors and outcomes. People with physical disabilities are more prone to various chronic conditions. A better understanding of the disability-focused self-management interventions is needed. This study aims to review the impact of self-management interventions on adult individuals with physical disabilities and chronic conditions. A scoping review of the literature was conducted on August 19th, 2021, through a search in the PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases to synthesize results from original studies regarding the impact of self-management interventions on adult individuals with physical disabilities and chronic conditions. The review was undertaken in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Synthesis without meta-analysis (Swim) guideline. Seventy-nine records were extracted from 3069 individual articles retrieved from the search strategy. We summarized the evidence on the content and behavior change skills, technology use, disease adjustment skills, and frequently used outcomes, including various physical, behavioral, and emotional symptoms. The results demonstrate promising evidence that self-management interventions are effective at improving health outcomes in people with physical disabilities and chronic conditions. By addressing the research gaps, the findings specify the essential contours for future research and disability-inclusive self-management programs.