The Expert Patients Programme (EPP) is a self-management programme for people who are living with a chronic (long-term) condition. The aim is to support people who have a chronic condition by:
- increasing their confidence
- improving their quality of life
- helping them manage their condition more effectively
What is a chronic condition?
Chronic health conditions are conditions that can be controlled but not cured. Living with a chronic condition can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life, as well as on their family and carers.
Common chronic conditions include the following.
- arthritis: a painful condition that affects the joints and bones
- asthma: a condition that causes inflammation (swelling) in the airways of the lungs
- diabetes: a condition that is caused by too much glucose in the blood
- epilepsy: a condition that causes repeated fits (seizures)
- heart disease: when the heart's blood supply is blocked or interrupted
- multiple sclerosis: a condition of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord)
In England, there are 15.4 million people living with a chronic condition. This figure is expected to increase as the population ages, and if people continue to make unhealthy lifestyle choices.
The EPP
The EPP is an NHS initiative that was launched in 2002 to help patients with chronic conditions to take control of their lives. The basis of the programme is a training course that teaches people how to manage their conditions by using five core skills. These are:
- problem solving
- decision making
- making the best use of resources
- developing effective partnerships with healthcare providers
- taking appropriate action
The EPP has been so successful that a national Expert Patients Programme Community Interest Company (EPP CIC) was launched in April 2007. Community Interest Companies are a form of social enterprise (businesses that are set up to meet a public need and reinvest their profits for the public good).
The EPP CIC provides free courses for people with a chronic condition to help them manage their condition better on a daily basis.
