Abstract
In the twenty-first century, promotion of physical activity to help people with chronic, disabling conditions minimize their risk of developing secondary health conditions is a vital component of rehabilitation, which may benefit from the expansion and testing of self-management strategies. We have used qualitative research to develop and evaluate an approach (Blue Prescription) that combines self-management and professional support to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) engage in sustained, meaningful, and enjoyable physical activities. In this chapter, we use vignettes for each author as a means of illustrating how our individual qualitative research interests generated similar themes of control, choice, and support; and how we used qualitative research to translate these themes into an intervention. The Blue Prescription approach has helped people with MS increase their exercise self-efficacy, but further exploration and evaluation is necessary in populations with other chronic, disabling conditions. An additional challenge involves translating this new approach from the world of rehabilitation research into that of clinical practice.