This blog was written by Helen Donovan, M.Ed. BSc. RN, RHV, Queen’s Nurse, FRSPH. Independent nurse consultant and immunisation specialist nurse. Self-Care Forum Chair
Personalised care starts by asking, “What matters to you?” Self-care supports people to act on the answer.
As we reflect on Self-Care Week this November, the annual awareness campaign led by the charity, the Self-Care Forum, it is timely to consider the important relationship between personalised care and self-care.
Together, they help build the confidence, capability and support people need to take an active role in their health and wellbeing. Self-Care Week provides an opportunity for those of us working across health and care to consider how we can better empower people to make informed decisions, develop the skills and knowledge to look after their health, and achieve the outcomes that matter most to them.
As Individuals we are more ready to self-care than we think
Findings from the “Living Self-Care Survey Study” by the Self-Care Forum and Imperial College London’s SCARU and published in BMJ Open, show that people feel they are already widely practising self-care and want more control over their health. 82% of people felt confident they had the knowledge and understanding needed to practise self-care. More than nine in ten reported confidence in living a healthy lifestyle, managing common illnesses and dealing independently with common symptoms. Only 12% said they did not want greater responsibility for their own health.
The challenge is support, not willingness
Despite this, healthcare professionals frequently perceive reluctance to engage as a significant obstacle. Nearly two-thirds of health care professionals cited individual reluctance to take responsibility for health as the main barrier to self-care with many highlighting concerns about public understanding.
This gap matters. If people are willing to take a greater role in their health, healthcare systems, industry and communities need to provide the tools, information and encouragement that make this possible. Notably, only 42% of people reported feeling encouraged by GPs, practice nurses or pharmacists to self-care.
Most care is self-care
Most care is, in fact, self-care.
Most health decisions are made by individuals and families outside formal healthcare settings. Yet significant inequalities remain in people’s ability and confidence to self-care. Bridging these gaps represents one of the most important opportunities for improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities and creating a more sustainable health and care system.
Health literacy is part of this missing link
A major factor influencing self-care is health literacy. Being health literate means having the knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to access, evaluate and use health
information effectively. Without these skills, even the best health advice can be difficult to act upon. The challenge is significant. An estimated 7.1 million adults in the UK read and write at or below the level expected of a nine-year-old child. Around 61% of adults struggle with health information that combines words and numbers, while 43% of adults lack the literacy skills needed to routinely understand everyday health information. Poor health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes and can widen health inequalities, particularly among disadvantaged and underserved communities. Health literacy also emerges as a key barrier to self-care. International research has shown that the UK ranks among the poorest performing countries in Europe for several aspects of health literacy. Difficulties include evaluating treatment options and deciding how best to protect health using information available through the media.
In our survey, almost half of health professionals identify health literacy as a major barrier to self-care.
Call to action
If personalised care is about giving people greater choice and control, self-care is how that ambition is realised in everyday life. The evidence suggests people are ready. Our challenge is to listen, build confidence, improve health literacy and provide the support that enables people to take an active role in their health and wellbeing.
Make self-care everybody’s business. Start where people are, recognising the actions they already take to manage their health and wellbeing. Use personalised care conversations to understand what matters to everyone, build confidence, support informed choices and strengthen shared decision-making.
Turn knowledge into action. Signpost trusted information, build health literacy and connect people with support through neighbourhood teams, pharmacy, social prescribing and community services. Embedding self-care within personalised care can improve outcomes, support prevention and reduce avoidable demand. Make use of trusted resources and awareness campaigns such as Self-Care Week, Men’s Health Week and Heart Month to reinforce messages and encourage behaviour change.
The Self-Care Forum’s free, evidence-based fact sheets can support personalised care conversations, shared decision-making and self-management, including for many common winter conditions.