Exploring patient activation in the clinic: measurement from three perspectives

Abstract

Objective: To further conceptualize and operationalize patient activation (PA), using measures from patient, physician, and researcher perspectives.

Data source/study setting: Multimethod observation in 2010 within a family medicine clinic.

Study design: Part of an intervention with 130 patients with type 2 diabetes, this observational study further looked at PA in 19 physician-patient dyads. Data Collection. Observations occurred in a teaching hospital, which served as recruiting and study site.

Principal findings: PA correlated with knowledge, self-efficacy, promotion orientation, and exercise intent. Patient-reported PA did not correlate with researcher-observed or physician-reported PA behavior. Researcher-observed PA correlated with physician-observation items.

Conclusions: Results provide evidence for measuring different perspectives in studies of PA. When patients report they are activated in self-management, behavior does not indicate they are active in clinical communication, a critical component of collaborative decision making.

Keywords: patient activation; physician–patient; primary care.