The mission of the Scientific & Mentoring Core is to enhance and develop productive programs of research in the area of self-management interventions, with a special emphasis among minority and health disparate populations. Research is an explicit component of the mission of the Bolton School of Nursing. A research culture prevails at the school and includes: (1) faculty with long-term commitment and productivity as nurse scientists, (2) focused programs of research excellence, (3) the availability of senior investigators and mentors, (4) opportunities for pre- and postdoctoral study; (5) interdisciplinary research and educational experiences for nurse investigators; and (6) a strong research infrastructure to support research and scholarly productivity. While these characteristics establish a solid foundation for knowledge development, there are two ways in which the support of a center grant will substantially accelerate scholarship: integration and coordination of a variety of external resources, and strengthening, coordinating, and formalizing infrastructure supports. Self-management is a term that refers to the behaviors that an individual employs as part of response to or management of a health state. Thus, it can entail specific management of disease-related prescriptions, such as medication or diet, or to health maintenance activities, such as exercise or stress reduction, or to the absence of any engagement in healthful behaviors.24 To date, studies of self -management strategies have concentrated primarily on educational interventions for persons with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, asthma, and epilepsy. The elements of self-management most commonly identified include: problem-solving training, decision making, resource utilization, patient-provider partnership, action planning, and self-tailoring.24 Despite a decade of study and analysis, there has been no consensus about essential elements of selfmanagement education, specific mechanisms, nor ideal measurement approaches for effectiveness evaluation.18 It is our contention that, in order to advance science in this promising area, a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to investigation must be undertaken. Resource utilization, partnership with providers, and action planning all require addressing the influence of the environment in which patient education, problem solving, and tailoring take place. Thus, the next generation of self-management investigation must address the context within which self-management activities take place (organization and community) and the entities and influences that support or present barriers to self-management (family and health disparity forces). The resources provided by a center can directly address this need.
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