Intervention Components Targeting Self-Management in Individuals with Multiple Chronic Conditions: An Integrative Review

Multiple chronic conditions (MCC) are becoming increasingly common and self-management (SM) interventions to address MCC are emerging. Prior reviews have broadly examined SM interventions in MCC; however, interventional components were not thoroughly described. Components of SM interventions that have been delivered to individuals with MCC were identified. A review of CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Embase was completed. This search yielded 13,994 potential studies; 31 studies among those 13,994 studies met inclusion for analysis. The literature is multidisciplinary and describes a wide variety of interventional strategies implementing various combinations of components. A descriptive analysis of the studies’ components, application of the components, delivery methods, and primary outcomes demonstrated clear variations between programs. The most common components noted in the 31 studies were education, action planning/goal setting, self-monitoring, and social/peer support. The variation in SM programs limits conclusive evidence for which components are recommended to improve self-management in individuals with MCC.