Lorig Taxonomy

Based on their clinical experiences and review of the literature, Lorig and colleagues identified six core components of SM: problem-solving, decision-making, resource utilization, taking action, and self-tailoring. Each component is described in detail in Table 6.

Abbreviated Code Code Description
Problem Problem Solving Program participants are taught basic problem-solving skills, such as problem definition, generation of possible solutions (e.g., soliciting suggestions from friends and health care professionals), solution implementation, and evaluation of results.
Decision Decision-Making Program participants are provided with necessary information and knowledge that facilitate their everyday decision-making about the management of their conditions (e.g., determining whether a particular symptom needs medical attention).
Resource Resource Utilization Program participants are taught how to gather and utilize resources, such as phone books, internet, and community resource guides.
Partnership Forming Patient-Health Care Provider Partnership Program participants are taught skills that help them form partnerships with their health care providers, such as accurately reporting their symptoms and discussing treatment options with their providers.
Action Taking Action Program participants are taught how to make and carry out realistic and doable action plans that enable them to achieve behavioural change.
Tailor Self-Tailoring Self-tailored SM interventions are individualized based on the patient’s characteristics (e.g., readiness to learn, health beliefs, the nature of their condition), and is done by the patient though learning the principles for behavioural change and SM skills.

Figure 3 shows the percentage of studies included in this review using each of the components from Lorig’s taxonomy. Under Lorig’s Taxonomy of SM program components, taking action is the most prevalent component in the SM programs for SCI reviewed in this chapter, utilized in 63.5 % of the program. In addition, more than half (53.6%) of the programs involved the self-tailoring component. While the management of secondary health conditions post SCI often requires the collaboration between patients and healthcare providers, forming patient-healthcare provider partnership was the least frequently used component, only present in 15.9% of the SM programs.

Figure 3. Percentage of studies using each of the components from Lorig’s
taxonomy