慢性病已是現今全球疾病與死亡的主因。鑑於慢性病對個人及社會均造成重大影響，慢性病照護成為一不容忽視之健康課題。本文透過介紹「慢性病自我管理」概念的演進、意義與範疇，及自我管理對慢性病的實證成效，説明慢性病自我管理此議題在當今醫療照護模式中的角色及其重要性。實證研究指出，自我管理能藉由自我調節的過程達到最大的功效目標，因此，筆者建議更多健康專業同仁能應用自我調節理論於研究與實務中，協助慢性病患落實自我管理，使之能達到最佳健康狀況與平衡生活。

Chronic disease is now a global health issue and major cause of death. The impact of chronic disease on individuals and society means the care of chronic disease has become a critical health issue. The importance and roles of self-management will be addressed in this article by examining the evolution, meaning and scope of self-management as well as its effect on the outcomes of patients with chronic illness. Evidence from empirical data has demonstrated that self-management may achieve maximum effectiveness through a self-regulation process. To help patients with chronic illness to achieve the best health and live a balanced lifestyle through self-management, healthcare providers should apply the theory of self-regulation in research and clinical practice.