Chronic disease self-management education programs: challenges ahead.

Chronic disease self-management education programs aim to empower patients through providing information and teaching skills and techniques to improve self-care and doctor-patient interaction, with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life. The recent 2006-07 federal budget allocated an unprecedented $515 million over 5 years for activation of patient self-management activities, commencing this financial year. Previous attempts in other countries to incorporate self-management education activities into the health care sector have faced setbacks because of inadequate integration into primary care. Engagement of health care professionals and their endorsement of self-management activities is critical to success.