환자 자가간호 수행에 관한 국내 연구 동향 분석

Analysis of Domestic Research Trends on Patient Self-Care Performance

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify trends in self-care related research performed in South Korea and to analyze the development of the self-care concept and future research directions. Methods: Academic articles and theses on self-care published from 2015 to 2025 were reviewed. Research topics, populations, designs, key variables, and types of interventions were analyzed. Results: Nine academic journal papers analyzed in this study are a mixture of research types, and a total of eight consist of quantitative studies. The descriptive survey studies focusing on patients with chronic diseases were the most common type of self-care research. Self-efficacy, health literacy, social support, and educational interventions were identified as key factors. Since 2015, there has been a noticeable increase in digital health–based self-care interventions, such as smartphone applications, health management apps, and online counseling. However, qualitative and mixed-methods studies were relatively scarce, and the lack of standardized self-care assessment tools posed limitations for cross-study comparisons. Conclusion: This study confirmed that self-care performance significantly contributes to improving patients’ quality of life and maintaining health behaviors. Future research should focus on verifying long-term effects and developing integrated self-care interventions tailored to disease-specific characteristics.