The Application of Health Management and Drug Self-management Education in the Control of Chronic Diseases in the Elderly: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the application of health management and medication self-management education in the control of chronic diseases in the elderly, specifically focusing on patients with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study aimed to assess the impact of these interventions on patients› self-management abilities, quality of life, medication adherence, intervention satisfaction, and the occurrence of adverse events. The findings aimed to provide a scientific basis for improving elderly chronic disease management and enhancing patients› health and quality of life.

Methods: A total of 106 elderly chronic disease patients admitted to our hospital from July 2021 to April 2023 were selected as the research subjects. All patients met the complete inclusion criteria. They were divided into two groups based on the type of health management intervention received. The control group (n=53) received conventional health management intervention. In contrast, the observation group (n=53) received health management from the medical examination center based on the PDCA model and medication self-management education intervention. The self-management ability, quality of life, medication adherence, occurrence of adverse events, and intervention satisfaction of the two groups of patients were compared. The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) model was chosen as the framework for this study due to its systematic approach to management and its potential to address the specific needs and complexities associated with chronic diseases in the elderly. The PDCA model emphasizes a continuous cycle of improvement, involving planning, implementation, evaluation, and adjustment of interventions.

Results: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in self-concept, self-management responsibility, self-management knowledge, and self-management skills between the two groups (P > .05). After the intervention, the observation group's self-concept, self-management responsibility, self-management knowledge, and self-management skills were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < .05). Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in SF-36 scores between the two groups (P > .05). After the intervention, the SF-36 scores of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < .05). The medication adherence score in the control group was (5.73±0.92), and the incidence of adverse events was 32.08%. In the observation group, the medication adherence score was (7.42±0.81), and the incidence of adverse events was 11.32%. The medication adherence score in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the incidence of adverse events was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < .05). The intervention satisfaction in the control group was 73.58%. In comparison, the intervention satisfaction in the observation group was 96.23%, indicating that the intervention satisfaction in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < .05). These results suggest that the implementation of the PDCA model in health management and medication self-management education can enhance patients' self-management abilities, improve medication adherence, and ultimately lead to better quality of life and reduced risk of adverse events for elderly chronic disease patients.

Conclusion: The application of health management and medication self-management education based on the PDCA model in the control of elderly chronic diseases is ideal. Compared to conventional health management interventions, the former can enhance patients' self-management abilities and improve medication adherence, thereby further improving patients' quality of life, satisfaction, and the risk of adverse events. Therefore, this approach is worthy of clinical promotion and application.