The expert CF patient: Reality or lip service?

Abstract

In the UK nineteen million people, approximately one third of the population, live with a chronic illness. (DoH 2005).This trend is rising and with increasing life expectancy will continue to do so. The cystic fibrosis population of eight thousand in the UK forms part of this group (CF Trust 2008)

The term expert patient- is currently a very topical one, with health professionals acknowledging that patients with chronic conditions are often more knowledgeable about their disease than they are. This is almost always the case in CF as most people with CF have a diagnosis within the first two years of life and thereafter spend the rest of their lives living with and managing the disease. This experience of living with a disease inevitably brings knowledge and other skills such as resourcefulness and decision making.