{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.02050113895216401, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.59, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Patient self management: potential harms to control

Patient self management (PSM) of chronic diseases in partnership with healthcare professionals offers many potential benefits – superior control of the disease and its symptoms and thus decreased exacerbations requiring hospitalization, opportunity to integrate disease management into one’s lifestyle so as to optimize personal and family well-being, and development of knowledge, skills and self efficacy (SE) by which to manage other healthcare problems. Potential harms are rarely considered or detected through screening, although some are reversible and some are preventable through proper design of support services. The purpose of this commentary is to outline harms which, even though described anecdotally by clinicians, should be considered to be hypothetical and to be verified. The overall goal is to manage them to maintain a positive benefit/harm ratio from PSM. Harm can be defined as injury to one’s central and legitimate interests. PSM of chronic disease is an individual’s ability to detect and manage symptoms, treatment, physical and psychological consequences and lifestyle changes inherent in living with a chronic condition. Potential harms are organized by those largely affecting individuals, and those operating at the population level.