Expert Patients

Expert patients are people living with a long-term health condition, who are able to take more control over their health by understanding and managing their conditions, leading to an improved quality of life. Becoming an expert patient is empowering for people with chronic conditions.

According to research, people who have trained in self-management tend to be more confident and less anxious.¹ They make fewer visits to the doctor, can communicate better with health professionals, take less time off work, and are less likely to suffer acute episodes requiring admission to hospital.²

The concept of the expert patient has been considered for specific chronic conditions for many years but has only recently taken on a high profile within the NHS as a whole. The NHS recently launched The Expert Patient Programme, which is designed to help patients with long-term conditions to take control of their lives.
The aim is that expert patients should:

• Feel confident and in control of their lives.
• Aim to manage their condition and its treatment in partnership with health care professionals.
• Communicate effectively with professionals and be willing to share responsibility on treatment.
• Be realistic about the impact of their disease on themselves and their family, and
• Use their skills and knowledge to lead full lives.

The Expert Patient Programme works in partnership with the Long-term Medical Care Alliance, a voluntary organisation that works to improve the lives of people with long-term health conditions.

Since the pilot phase of The Expert Patient Programme was launched in 2002, over 10,000 people have attended training. New initiatives in 2004 include a course for parents of children with chronic conditions. Expert patient courses run for two and a half hours per week for six weeks. They are delivered by people who live with a long-term condition, or by people who have direct experience of living with someone who has a long-term condition.
In these programmes, people learn a variety of relevant skills, which include:

• Setting goals.
• Writing an action plan.
• Problem solving skills.
• Fitness and exercise.
• Better breathing (participants are taught diaphragmatic breathing).
• Fatigue management.
• Healthy eating.
• Relaxation skills.
• Communication with family.
• Working better with health care professionals, including communicating better with them.
• Making better use of medications.

Factors improving the success of local Expert Patients Programme courses include more time for the EPP Lead to dedicate to the Programme and collaboration across PCTs to share co-ordinators, tutors, and funding.³

Information on local courses and how to become involved, either to become an Expert Patient or become a course tutor, are available on the Expert Patients Programme website (link below). There is also an online Expert Patient Programme course.