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Self-Management Education: Learn More. Feel Better.

Self-Management Education: Learn More. Feel Better. is a broad awareness campaign developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its partners. The campaign aims to promote self-management education (SME) as a chronic disease management strategy, and invites those living with one or more chronic conditions to learn more about programs that can help them:

  • Take control of their health.
  • Reduce stress, have more energy, and feel better.
  • Learn strategies to live a healthier life.

Self Management Education logo banner

Why is this campaign important?

About half of all adults in the United States are living with one or more chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. Management of these ongoing conditions requires more than just medical treatment; it requires daily management by the person with the condition—in other words, self-management. This campaign does not market a specific self-management education program, but rather aims to raise awareness of self-management education programs in general.

Find a program near you

Take the first step toward feeling better. Find a program in your community to help you live a better life with your chronic disease.

Note: Registration or materials fees may be associated with some programs. Please check the links for cost details related to your program of interest.

Living Well with Chronic Conditions or Tomando Control de su Salud

This in-person workshop is designed for people living with one or more chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arthritis, epilepsy, and cancer. The workshop is also available to those who live with someone with a chronic condition.

Living Well with Chronic Conditions, also known as Stanford's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP-English) or Tomando Control de su Salud (Spanish), is a high-level, evidence-based workshop for people living with ongoing health problems and diseases. This highly participative workshop meets for 2-1/2 hours per week for six weeks. Mutual support and successes build participants’ confidence in their ability to manage their health conditions and maintain active, fulfilling lives. This classroom-style workshop is facilitated by two trained leaders, with most of the learning coming from sharing and helping others with similar challenges.

Healthy Living with Diabetes or Vivir Saludable con Diabetes

This in-person course is available to people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Healthy Living with Diabetes, also known as Stanford's Diabetes Self-Management Program (English) or Vivir Saludable con Diabetes (Spanish), is a high-level, evidence-based workshop for people who have diabetes. This highly participative workshop meets for 2-1/2 hours per week for six weeks. Mutual support and successes build participants’ confidence in their ability to manage their diabetes and maintain active, fulfilling lives. The course is facilitated by two trained leaders in a small group setting, with most of the learning coming from sharing and helping others in the workshop with similar challenges.

Diabetes Prevention Program

This program is provided in-person and serves people with prediabetes and those at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program, introduced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a high-level, evidence-based behavior change course led by trained lifestyle coaches. The program covers topics such as eating healthy, increasing physical activity, and losing weight. This year-long, in-person course includes 16 one-hour core classes held over six months and six one-hour post-core classes during the following six months.

14 Weeks to a Healthier You

This web-based program is intended for people with mobility limitations, chronic health conditions, and physical disabilities.

14 Weeks to a Healthier You, offered by the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), is designed to help people make healthy nutrition choices and get moving. This personalized, web-based, 14-week physical activity and nutrition program is made available free of charge by NCHPAD.

Breathe Well, Live Well: Asthma Management Program for Adults

This web-based program is offered for adults affected by asthma.

Breathe Well, Live Well, a program developed by the American Lung Association, is designed for adults who want to learn how to take control of their asthma and feel better. The Guide to Managing Asthma at Home and Work is an empowering self-help guide that shows individuals how to develop asthma self-management skills and build support teams at home and at work.

PALS (Promoting Amputee Life Skills)

This is a web-based program for people managing their lives after limb loss.

The PALS survey project, developed by the Amputee Coalition, includes eight total lessons, each taking 20-30 minutes to complete. The general completion rate is one to two lessons per week, with lessons covering a variety of topics including self-management, managing emotions, being healthy, building the life you want, and managing setbacks. Study participants will receive $50 after completing all eight online lessons and another $25 for answering the assessment questions at the end of the program. Participating in this program will help guide the course for future limb loss recovery assistance efforts.

WebEase

This web-based self-management program is provided for adults with epilepsy.

WebEase stands for Epilepsy, Awareness, Support, and Education. This free course offers three learning modules focused on medication, stress, and sleep. Each module can be taken more than once and in any order that works for the participant's needs.

Self-Management Guides and Toolkits

The Arthritis Helpbook is a self-study guide that helps you construct your own approach to deal with your arthritis through exercise, pain management, and relaxation tools. It encourages goal-setting, action-planning, and thinking and acting proactively.

A collection of self-study materials for people with chronic conditions, the Tool Kit for Active Living with Chronic Conditions is modeled after the Living Well with Chronic Conditions Program (CDSMP). Available in English or Spanish, the kit includes a copy of the Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions book as well as information to help people with different health conditions develop skills to lead a healthy life.

Filled with hundreds of tips, suggestions, and strategies, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions offers practical medical solutions for people living with chronic conditions. The guide explains how to develop and maintain exercise and nutrition programs, manage symptoms, determine when to seek medical help, work effectively with doctors, properly use medications, and find community resources.

While not available now, several additional courses may be offered online or in Wisconsin on a regular basis in the future. These additional self-management education courses include Living and Working Well with a Disability, Arthritis Self-Management Program, Living Well with COPD, Pillars4Life for those touched by cancer, and PEARLS for those experiencing depression. For information on the PEARLS program, which may be available on an individual basis, contact Ann Lewis at Family Services of Madison, 608-252-1320.

For more information on any of these courses, please click the corresponding links or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Learn More. Feel Better. campaign website.

Last revised June 16, 2022