PATH (Personal Action Toward Health) Programs
What is PATH?
Personal Action Towards Health (PATH) is an interactive, six-week series facilitated by two trained leaders who typically have chronic conditions themselves. During each session, PATH participants discuss self-management strategies, such as:
- Dealing with illness and safely managing medications.
- Talking with healthcare providers, family members and caregivers.
- Using the mind to manage chronic disease symptoms.
- Pacing and planning activities to more easily handle everyday activities.
- Setting personal action plans to reach health goals.
MSU Extension PATH Programs
MSU Extension PATH Programs
MSU Extension offers three different PATH programs: Chronic Disease PATH, Diabetes PATH (also known as the Diabetes Self-Management Program) and Chronic Pain PATH (also known as the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program). Diabetes PATH is recognized by the American Diabetes Association as meeting the Diabetes Support Initiative criteria for support programming, a measure of high-quality programming.
MSU Extension’s PATH programs are typically available for free or at a very low cost to participants.
Who is PATH for?
PATH programs are designed for adults living with a chronic health condition such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, emphysema, depression or other diseases. Family members and caregivers are also welcome.
Each PATH workshop includes a group of 12-15 individuals who have a variety of chronic conditions and are interested in becoming better self-managers. By becoming active self-managers, PATH workshop participants are better equipped to face the daily challenges of living with a chronic health condition.
Our Reach and Impact
PATH workshops have shown to reduce emergency department visits, hospital stays and health care costs. Our participants report experiencing a number of benefits from participating in PATH programs, including greater confidence in:
- Keeping fatigue, pain, and emotional distress from interfering with daily activities
- Using a variety of strategies besides taking medication to manage illness
- Doing different tasks and activities to manage health conditions, reducing the need to see a healthcare provider
MSU Extension offers PATH programs in collaboration with other community agencies and organizations across Michigan. In 2019, MSU Extension reached participants in 22 Michigan counties.
Chronic Pain PATH
Chronic Pain PATH is a six-week self-management workshop designed to help people to take an active role in managing chronic pain.
Adults of all ages interested in managing chronic pain are welcome to attend, including those living with chronic pain, family members and caregivers.
Participants learn strategies and skills to manage chronic pain such as:
- Dealing with difficult emotions, poor sleep, fatigue, and stress
- Planning and pacing activities
- Developing exercise and healthy eating plans
- Managing medications and preventing medication misuse
- Communicating with family, friends and healthcare providers
- Decision making and evaluating treatment options
- Goal setting
Chronic Disease PATH
Chronic Disease PATH is a six-week self-management workshop designed to help people take an active role in managing their chronic disease(s).
Adults of all ages interested in managing their chronic diseases (such as arthritis, heart disease, lung disease, or other ongoing health conditions) are welcome to attend, as well as their family members and caregivers.
Participants learn skills to manage a variety of chronic diseases such as:
- Developing healthy eating and exercise plans
- Navigating pain and difficult emotions
- Managing medications
- Communicating with family, friends, and healthcare providers
- Decision making and evaluating treatment options
- Goal setting
Chronic Diabetes PATH
Diabetes PATH is a six-week self-management workshop designed to help people take an active role in managing their diabetes. This program (also referred to as the Diabetes Self-Management program) meets the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Support Initiative criteria, a measure of high-quality programming.
Adults of all ages interested in diabetes are welcome to attend, including adults with prediabetes, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, family members and caregivers.
Participants learn skills to manage diabetes such as:
- Strategies to prevent/manage diabetes symptoms and hyper/hypoglycemia
- Developing healthy eating and exercise plans
- Navigating stress and difficult emotions
- Managing medications
- Communicating with family, friends, and healthcare providers
- Decision making and evaluating treatment options
- Goal setting
Register for a Class
MSU Extension offers PATH Classes in two formats:
- In-person: Meets for six weeks; each weekly session lasts 2.5 hours with a break provided (currently unavailable due to COVID-19 restrictions)
- Online via Zoom: Meets for six weeks; each weekly session lasts two hours with a break provided
