Supported Self-Management

Helping men to self-manage

The True North Supported Self-Management project launched in January 2014 and focused on designing and evaluating a secondary care prostate cancer follow-up pathway. By 2020, all NHS trusts providing prostate cancer care are required to have a system in place to support men through Supported Self-Management and we’re supporting Trusts to make this happen.

The key components of the Supported Self-management pathway are:

  • Support worker: Men are introduced to a support worker who is their key worker for the duration of their follow-up.
  • Workshop: All men are required to attend a four-hour Supported Self-Management workshop.  This workshop aims to give men the knowledge, skills and confidence to self-manage.
  • Remote monitoring: Men no longer need to attend face-to-face clinic appointments to discuss normal PSA test results.  Nurse-led PSA tracking clinics are held using an electronic PSA tracking system.  Men are recalled to clinic within two weeks if PSA results or symptoms need further investigation.  Clinical monitoring protocols have been developed for each treatment group.
  • Patient online service: Men are given the opportunity to sign up to a patient online service, where they can access PSA results, Holistic Needs Assessments, health information and use an electronic messaging function to contact their support worker.

In partnership with True North and the University of Southampton we've developed an online course to support you to confidently deliver Supported Self-Management to your patients, so they have the best possible experience of self-management.