Figure 1. Chain of Self-management Support Effect (Text Description)
The figure titled "Chain of Self-Management Support Effect" is a horizontally arranged flowchart. A series of boxes is used to illustrate how a self-management support program may affect both quality of care and costs. The structure of the program and the support processes provided, represented by boxes A and B, influence the patient's ability and motivation to improve his or her own care, which is represented by Box C. This affects the patient's behavior, as represented by Box D1. The provider may react to the patient's behavior by improving his or her own behavior, which is box D2. As the patient and provider change their behaviors, the patient's disease should be better controlled, represented by Box E. Patients will be healthier, which is Box F. They also will be more productive and use fewer medical services, represented by Box G. A healthier patient more in control of his or her chronic condition, leading a more productive life and using fewer health care services, results in cost savings, as represented by boxes H and I.