Introduction to Patient Activation
Are your patients engaged in their health journey, or are they simply following instructions without an understanding? The idea of patient activation is changing healthcare, but many practices believe that it does not hold much weight.
In North West London, where a demographically diverse population of 2.4 million people resides, patient activation levels have been systematically assessed since 2016. Among the 15,877 patients analyzed, those with higher activation levels used healthcare services more effectively. This shows a reduction in unnecessary visits to A&E and an improvement in overall health outcomes.
What is Patient Activation?
Patient activation is the patient’s ability and confidence to manage their health and well being. In contrast to patient engagement, which describes how patients interact with providers, patient activation empowers patients to take charge of their health. This shift enhances patient satisfaction and reduces the strain on healthcare systems, as evidenced by the data from North West London.
Understanding and supporting patient activation is essential for healthcare providers who want patients to have higher levels of care. But how do you know your patients are activated and engaged in their health journey? In this blog, we will discuss patient activation, its importance to health outcomes, and how you can improve patient activation in your practice.
Also Read: Top Methods to Reduce No-Show Rates in Outpatient Clinics
The Importance of Patient Activation
Patient activation significantly influences the quality of healthcare delivery. By recognizing its influence, patient outcomes, cost reductions, and treatment adherence can be improved. Let’s examine the important aspects of why patient activation matters.
Influencing Patient Outcomes
Patients who are activated are engaged in their care, which leads to better patient outcomes. An evaluation of 15,877 patients from North West London found that patients with higher patient activation scores had fewer emergency admissions and improved health status. Patient engagement empowers patients to make informed decisions, leading to better health and well-being.
Role in Reducing Healthcare Costs
Activating patients can lead to significant cost reductions for the healthcare provider. Activated patients are more likely to utilize the healthcare system efficiently, leading to fewer unnecessary visits and hospitalizations. The same study indicated that activated patients had fewer GP consultations and fewer emergency admissions, which translates to cost savings for the healthcare system.
Correlation Between Patient Activation and Treatment Plan Adherence
There is a positive correlation between patient activation and treatment plan adherence. Activated patients are more likely to adhere to their prescribed treatment, attend appointments, and manage their health conditions. Treatment adherence leads to better individual health outcomes and a longer burden on the healthcare provider.
Recognizing the value of patient activation is a basis for discussing strategies for increasing patient activation. Let’s now understand what a patient activation measure is.
Understanding the Patient Activation Measure (PAM)
The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is an independent test that studies patients’ medication participation and attendance at the wellness program. As healthcare providers increasingly recognize the improvements associated with patient activation, PAM has played a dual role in evaluating and improving patient involvement. This paper discusses, in particular, PAM’s computation, scoring, and different measures of activation.
PAM is a validated tool designed to measure patients’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing their health. Originating in the U.S., PAM has been introduced internationally, not only in conjunction with personal healthcare but also to support NHS England to identify the patient’s identification via the individual’s health records.
Explanation of the Patient Activation Measure
PAM consists of 13 items that assess various aspects of patient engagement. These items collectively measure how well a patient understands their health, their confidence in managing it, and their ability to navigate the healthcare system. The scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater activation. This measurement helps clinicians identify patients who may need additional support or are already managing their health effectively.
How PAM Scores Are Calculated?
PAM scores are derived from patients’ responses to the 13 items on the PAM survey. The score is calculated by assessing responses across these items, with each contributing to an overall activation score. This score is then categorized into four levels, indicating the patient’s activation status. The average PAM score in studies, such as the one conducted in North West London, was around 55.1, with a standard deviation of 17.7, reflecting a wide range of patient activation levels.
Understanding how PAM scores are calculated lays the foundation for discussing the levels of patient activation. Let’s understand the different activation levels and their implications for patient behavior.
Levels of Patient Activation
PAM categorizes patients into four levels of activation, each reflecting varying degrees of engagement and confidence in managing health. Recognizing these levels allows healthcare providers to tailor interventions that match the patient’s current capabilities and needs.
Overview of the Different Levels of Patient Activation
The four levels of PAM provide a spectrum of patient engagement:
| Level | Description | Example |
| 1 (0-47.0) | Low activation, overwhelmed, disengaged. | Patients might skip follow-up appointments, rely solely on their doctor for health decisions, and show little interest in learning about their condition. |
| 2 (47.1-55.1) | Recognizing the importance of role, needs support. | A patient could start asking questions during visits but still hesitate to take action without reassurance from their healthcare provider. |
| 3 (55.2-72.4) | Engaged, skilled, and proactive in managing health. | Patients actively seek information about their condition, follow prescribed treatment plans, and participate in preventive screenings. |
| 4 (72.5-100) | Highly activated, self-advocating, and proactive in health management. | A patient regularly exercises, monitors their health indicators, adjusts their lifestyle to prevent illness, and rarely needs urgent care services. |
Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About Digital Patient Check-In
Key Strategies to Improve Patient Activation
Empowering patients to take an active role in their healthcare is crucial for better outcomes. Healthcare providers can significantly boost patient activation by implementing specific strategies. Below are key strategies to achieve this.
Educating Patients
Health literacy is the starting point for patient activation. When patients understand their health conditions and treatments, they are more likely to engage in their care. It is crucial to provide transparent and readily understandable information.
For instance, using simple medical terms in educational materials can ensure that patients are fully informed about their diagnoses and treatment options.
Individualized Care Plans
Patients feel more responsible for their health when participating in decision-making processes. Therefore, collaborative goal-setting between providers and patients is essential for ensuring that the plan works with the lifestyle and preferences of a person diagnosed with a particular condition.
Making Use of Technology
Technology could be very useful in increasing patient activation. Patients’ portals and mobile applications give people power to take charge of their health care systems through mobile apps like Samsung Health or Apple’s CareKit.
Encouraging Self-Management
Self-management skills development is very important, especially for managing chronic disease. Patients who regularly receive feedback and monitor their progress in relation to health goals tend to perform better in their efforts to manage their condition.
By being given tools and resources such as glucose monitors for diabetics, patients can take a proactive role in managing their conditions.
Enhancing Communication
Patients need clarity and empathy from physicians when they are active participants. Provider-patient interactions can be improved using techniques like motivational interviewing and active listening so patients know they are being heard and understood.
Building a Supportive Environment
The healthcare team must create a supportive environment for patient activation. Involving family members and caregivers helps provide more support. This could mean support groups or community resources that help patients feel like they belong while seeking care.
Benefits of Improved Patient Activation
Better patient activation has several returns across health sectors. The following is how an increased involvement of clients affects health positively:
Better Health Outcomes
Better health metrics are closely related to the activation of patients in managing their health. Better management of chronic conditions, healthier lifestyles, and more consistent adherence to treatment plans are some examples of what is associated with engaged patients.
For example, studies have shown that higher scores on the Patient Activation Measure are linked with lower blood pressure, better blood sugar control for those with diabetes, and overall well-being. A recent examination revealed that highly activated patients had 20% fewer hospital readmissions and 15% fewer emergency room visits, suggesting a direct impact on health outcomes.
Enhanced Patient Satisfaction
Activated patients tend to have a better healthcare experience. This results in a higher level of patient satisfaction with the healthcare system, mainly because they feel much involved in it.
Higher activation leads to improved communication and more personalized contact between patients and providers. Such heightened interaction tends to build loyalty among customers, who would rather stay close to care providers who actively include them in the decision-making process.
Savings on Healthcare Provider Expenses
For healthcare providers, higher patient activation might result in significant cost savings. Activated people saw a decrease in the number of emergency room visits and readmissions to hospitals by actively managing their health.
According to a study, for instance, a 5% decrease in healthcare expenses can be achieved for every ten point increase in the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) score. This is mainly because fewer patients require urgent treatment, and chronic illnesses are better managed. These long-term financial advantages highlight how crucial it is to fund patient activation initiatives in order to lower total healthcare costs.
Challenges of Implementing Patient Activation Strategies
Implementing techniques to increase patient activity is critical but frequently faces substantial challenges. Understanding these problems is beneficial in designing successful solutions.
Barriers to Patient Activation
- Patients deal with a number of challenges when they want to become more involved in their health management.
- Key obstacles include health literacy concerns, in which patients struggle to interpret medical information, as well as socioeconomic limitations that limit access to essential resources.
- For example, individuals with inadequate health literacy may struggle to understand medical instructions or treatment alternatives, whereas those with insufficient financial resources may face impediments to appropriate care.
Overcoming Resistance to Change
- Addressing opposition to change among patients and healthcare personnel is critical to successful implementation.
- Maintaining regular communication and education are two strategies for gradually shifting views.
- Educating patients about the benefits of activation and offering assistance to healthcare providers can help to smooth the transition. This method guarantees that patients and physicians work together to increase patient involvement and self-management.
How Emitrr Helps in Patient Activation?
Patient activation is essential for better health outcomes and overall patient satisfaction. Here’s how Emitrr supports this:
Enhanced Patient Engagement
Emitrr’s automated reminders and patient portals encourage timely check-ins and pre-appointment preparation, helping patients stay actively involved in their healthcare journey.
Seamless Communication
Through real-time updates and 24/7 answering software, Emitrr keeps patients informed and connected. Improved patient communication ensures they are well-prepared and engaged throughout their care process.
Efficient Appointment Management
Emitrr’s automated scheduling and real-time tracking optimize appointment slots. It reduces errors and improves patient flow, which enhances overall patient activation by minimizing barriers to accessing care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Patient activation refers to a person’s knowledge and confidence in controlling their health. Patient engagement entails active involvement in healthcare choices and exchanges. Activation focuses on self-management skills, whereas engagement encompasses a broader involvement in care.
Providers employ tools such as the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), a series of questions assessing patients’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing their health. PAM scores classify patients into activation levels and adapt care accordingly.
Patient activation is critical for chronic disease treatment. Activated patients are more likely to follow treatment plans, engage in self-care, and make informed decisions, improving health.
Technology can improve patient activation by providing knowledge and self-management tools. However, it must be used in conjunction with individualized support and instruction to be effective.
Providers can help low-activated patients by streamlining information, establishing realistic goals, and providing frequent follow-ups. Giving precise explanations and removing particular obstacles facilitates raising activation levels.
Conclusion
Patient activation improves healthcare outcomes, patient happiness, and cost-effectiveness. By providing patients with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage their own care, clinicians can see significant gains in health indicators, fewer hospital readmissions, and higher patient loyalty. Effective ways to increase activation include educating patients, personalizing care plans, using technology properly, supporting self-management, and improving communication.
Healthcare professionals are advised to use these tactics to maximize the benefits of patient activation. Explore Emitrr’s services for advanced tools and solutions to help with these initiatives. Discover how innovative solutions may improve patient involvement and care management.
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