References
Support for self-care in Scotland: how can paramedics advocate the self-care agenda?
Abstract
Paramedics work very much on an episodic basis and this is entirely expected as they see patients when there has been a traumatic incident, acute onset of symptoms or acute exacerbation of an existing condition. This means that their work, although involving assessment and treatment planning, tends to be focused on the current complaint. In the UK, paramedics work to guidelines drawn up by the Joint Royal Collages Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC). These focus on managing the specific condition or complaint. As a result, it may seem that supporting self-care is not congruous with the work of paramedics, but self-care support is becoming increasingly supported within the wider NHS and there is significant research around this subject. The purpose of this article is to describe what self-care is, its origins, and underpinning theories. It will also describe the drivers promoting it in the current health care context in Scotland, what is missing from current research, what implications exist for healthcare practitioners and provides an example of how paramedics can deliver effective support for self-care.
The Scottish Government's strategic goals describe a new ethos for health in Scotland that sees people at the heart of a ‘mutual’ NHS (Scottish Government, 2007). ‘Delivering for Health’, an earlier report from the then Scottish Executive highlighted self-care support as a key priority, which is part of a wider framework aimed at improving health and well-being (Scottish Executive, 2005a).
The social and economic impact of ill health can be significant. The Scottish Association for Mental Health looked at the high costs of mental health problems. Their research showed that in 2005, these costs were equivalent to £8.6 billion, around 9% of Scotland's gross domestic product (Scottish Association for Mental Health, 2006).
Self-care is both an ethos and a set of techniques that health care professionals (HCPs) can employ to support people in their efforts to self-care better. There appears to be a growing enthusiasm for support of self-care among health boards and other organizations in Scotland. How has this come about? This article will describe what self-care is, its origins, whether the current literature provides an answer to the current enthusiasm for it, what is missing from the research and whether paramedics can effectively support the self-care agenda.
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