Symptom Changes & Your Action Plan

A practical guide to understanding symptom changes and keeping a written action plan for hard days and flare-ups.

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Item ID grp003

Educational support only. This resource complements, not replaces, provider instructions, facility policy, or medical advice.

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Symptom Changes & Your Action Plan is a CarePlanCompass™ Guide that helps readers recognize symptom changes and follow a written plan for flare-ups and hard days. It brings together two core chapters, moving from understanding what matters, to putting it into practice, to tools and writing space. Topics include Symptom Guide & Red Flags and Flare-Up Protocol. References are listed at the end, and the Guide pairs well with the Chronic Pain Management Companion. It is educational and organizational support and does not replace individualized medical, rehabilitation, or emergency care.

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Bodenheimer T, Lorig K, Holman H, Grumbach K. Patient self-management of chronic disease in primary care. JAMA. 2002;288(19):2469-2475. doi:10.1001/jama.288.19.2469 Source
Lorig KR, Holman HR. Self-management education: history, definition, outcomes, and mechanisms. Ann Behav Med. 2003;26(1):1-7. doi:10.1207/S15324796ABM2601_01
American Occupational Therapy Association. Occupations and everyday activities. AOTA;Accessed October 15, 2026. https://www.aota.org/practice/domain-and-process/occupations-everyday-activities Source
American Occupational Therapy Association. Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process—Fourth Edition. Am J Occup Ther. 2020;74(Suppl 2):7412410010p1-7412410010p87. doi:10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001 Source
Kessels RPC. Patients' memory for medical information. J R Soc Med. 2003;96(5):219-222. doi:10.1258/jrsm.96.5.219
Harkin B, Webb TL, Chang BPI, et al. Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychol Bull. 2016;142(2):198-229. doi:10.1037/bul0000025
Handley M, MacGregor K, Schillinger D, Sharifi C, Wong S, Bodenheimer T. Using action plans to help primary care patients adopt healthy behaviors: a descriptive study. J Am Board Fam Med. 2006;19(3):224-231. doi:10.3122/jabfm.19.3.224
Howcroft M, Walters EH, Wood-Baker R, Walters JAE. Action plans with brief patient education for exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(12):CD005074. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005074.pub4
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Be more engaged in your healthcare. AHRQ;Updated November 2024. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://www.ahrq.gov/questions/be-engaged/index.html Source
MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Recognizing medical emergencies. National Library of Medicine;Reviewed January 8, 2025. Accessed October 16, 2026. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001927.htm Source

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