Chronic disease self-management telehealth program for college students

Authors

  • Carol Cox
  • Hannah Branch
  • Sarah Frerker
  • Rolena Stephenson

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2025.767

Keywords:

Chronic disease, Self-Management, College students, Telehealth

Abstract

 Self-management of chronic diseases is important for all age groups, especially for college students as they develop and transition to adulthood, increasing their prevalence of chronic disease risk factors. Inconvenience, lack of access, and cost may be barriers for their participation in chronic disease self-management programs. This study explored self- management knowledge and skills of a small group of college students attending a free, six-week long, telehealth-based, chronic disease self-management program led by a provider Leader and a college-aged lay Leader. Topics ranged from disease and medication management to patient-provider communication. Participants met once per week for two hours via telehealth, received a companion textbook, and were instructed through slide shows and interactive activities. The Partners in Health Scale was used to assess participant-reported, self-management knowledge and skill levels before and after the program. Participants reported significantly better knowledge and self-management of their chronic disease pre- to post-program for understanding conditions and treatments, patient-provider communication, physical activity level regulation, and symptom tracking. Results of this exploratory study suggest that telehealth-based chronic disease self-management programs for students at colleges and universities can be a clinically effective part of a support program for those whose academic and extracurricular participation are affected by their chronic condition. It is recommended that larger and more comprehensive studies be conducted in the future to confirm the current findings. Nonetheless, there is potential utility for telehealth-based chronic disease self-management program options as part of disease management programming to improve participant knowledge and self-management skill building.

Published

2025-12-31

How to Cite

Cox, C., Branch, H., Frerker, S., & Stephenson, R. (2025). Chronic disease self-management telehealth program for college students. American Journal of Health Studies, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2025.767