Using the patient activation measure to examine the self-management support needs of a population of UK workers with long-term health conditions

Objectives To examine differences in patient activation and self-management support needs in a population of UK workers with long-term health conditions. Methods Demographic, health and activation information were taken from the data of participants with long-term conditions, collected via an online cross-sectional survey of workers. The 13-item British patient activation measure measured workers knowledge, skills and confidence towards self-managing. Results Three hundred and seven workers with mental health, musculoskeletal and other conditions completed the patient activation measure. Mental health conditions were most prevalent (36.8%). Workers were higher activated, however workers with mental health conditions were significantly less activated ( p = 0.006). Differences in activation by condition severity and age were revealed. Discussion This study provides insight to the activation of UK workers with long-term conditions. Whilst workers with mental health conditions need more training and education to self-manage, workers are variably activated indicating broader support needs. There is a gap for workplace self-management support. The patient activation measure is used in healthcare to improve people’s self-management and should be considered to be included in the workplace, and could form part of interventions to support workers self-management. More rigorous studies, including the patient activation measure, are needed to identify the best approaches to identifying workers self-management support needs.

Reliability and Validity of the Patient Activation Measure in Kidney Disease: Results of Rasch Analysis

Background and objectivesDespite the increasing prioritization of the promotion of patient activation in nephrology, its applicability to people with CKD is not well established. Before the Patient Activation Measure is universally adopted for use in CKD, it is important to critically evaluate this measure. The aim of this study was to describe the psychometric properties of the Patient Activation Measure in CKD.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsA survey containing the 13-item Patient Activation Measure was completed by 942 patients with CKD, not treated with dialysis. Data quality was assessed by mean, item response, missing values, floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha and average interitem correlation), and item-rest correlations. Rasch modeling was used to assess item performance and scaling (item statistics, person and item reliability, rating scale diagnostics, factorial test of residuals, and differential item functioning).ResultsThe item response was high, with a small number of missing values (<1%). Floor effect was small (range 1%–5%), but the ceiling effect was above 15% for nine items (range 15%–38%). The Patient Activation Measure demonstrated good internal consistency overall (Cronbach α=0.925, and average interitem correlation 0.502). The difficulty of the Patient Activation Measure items ranged from −0.90 to 0.86. Differential item functioning was found for disease type (item 3) and age (item 12). The person separation index was 9.48 and item separation index was 3.21.ConclusionsThe 13-item Patient Activation Measure appears to be a suitably reliable and valid instrument for assessing patient activation in CKD. In the absence of a kidney-specific instrument, our results support the 13-item Patient Activation Measure as a promising measure to assess activation in those with CKD, although consideration for several items is warranted. The high ceiling effect may be a problem when using the 13-item Patient Activation Measure to measure changes over time.

The moderating role of informal caregiver’s involvement on the relationship between patient activation and adherence to treatment: Implications for self-management intervention in cancer care.

12083 Background: With increasing demands for a more active role on the part of individuals with cancer and their families in cancer care, patient activation (PA) is emerging as a key factor to promote self-management, adherence to treatment, and satisfaction with treatment planning. The present work investigated the relationship between patient activation and treatment decision making. Given the role informal caregivers play on patient-reported outcomes, it was additionally assessed whether caregiver involvement acted as a moderator of this relationship. Methods: Survey data collected from 504 cancer survivors recruited through online consumer panels were utilized. The survey contained questions concerning treatment options, quality of life, adherence to treatment, next to presence and involvement of informal caregivers. Additionally, the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), sociodemographic and clinical questions were included. A path analysis Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) controlling for covariates was used to examine the relationship between Patient Activation Measure (PAM), caregiver involvement, and the identified outcomes. Moderator analysis was conducted using multiple group SEM. Results: Respondents were mostly women (57.1%), non-Hispanic white (72.9%), middle aged or older adults (68% ≥ 55 y.o.) The four largest cancer type groups were prostate (16.3%), early stage breast (9.7%), gynecological (8.9%), and colorectal cancer (8.3%). Most of the respondents were diagnosed more than 4 years earlier (52.0%). Participants were evenly split between those who received care at an academic cancer center (29.4%) and those treated at community hospital (31.7%). Patient activation was significantly associated with treatment planning being reflective of survivors ’goals and values ( p < 0.001); adherence to treatment ( p = 0.011); and satisfaction ( p < 0.001). Caregiver’s involvement significantly moderated the association between activation and adherence to treatment. Conclusions: Patient activation was positively associated with all three selected outcomes. However, for cancer survivors reporting low rates of caregiver involvement, patient activation was not associated with treatment adherence. Research is needed to deliver and test patient activation interventions inclusive of informal caregivers to improve self-management.

Ativação de pacientes em hemodiálise: fatores associados e qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde

Introdução: o tratamento hemodialítico impõe modificações no cotidiano do indivíduo e demanda autogerenciamento eficaz da saúde para que se alcancem as metas terapêuticas e consequentemente uma melhor qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. Há evidências de que pessoas com altos níveis de ativação apresentam comportamentos mais saudáveis e melhores desfechos clínicos quando comparadas a pessoas com baixa ativação. Dessa forma, mensurar a ativação dos pacientes em hemodiálise possibilita a identificação do grau de autogerenciamento destes e viabiliza intervenções de saúde direcionadas ao indivíduo, considerando suas crenças, habilidades e motivações. Objetivo: avaliar o nível de ativação de pacientes em hemodiálise e seus fatores associados. Metodologia: estudo com abordagem quantitativa e corte transversal, realizado com 162 pessoas em tratamento hemodialítico de uma unidade de terapia renal substitutiva, sediada no município de Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Os participantes responderam a dois questionários, um para avaliação sociodemográfica e clínica e outro para classificação econômica, e também a duas escalas, uma para mensurar o nível de ativação (Patient Activation Measure-13) e outra para avaliação da qualidade de vida (Kidney Disease Quality of life short form). Foram coletados dados secundários, referentes aos resultados de exames laboratoriais e valores de ultrafiltração, para avaliação dos resultados em saúde. Foi realizada a análise descritiva dos dados para caracterização da população, regressão de Poisson com variância robusta para verificar associação entre o escore de ativação e os dados sociodemográficos, socioeconômicos e clínicos e regressão Logística com a finalidade de estabelecer o relacionamento entre os níveis de ativação com a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. Utilizou-se o software SPSS versão 23.0 e o STATA. Resultados: foram construídos dois artigos intitulados “Fatores associados à ativação de pacientes em hemodiálise “e “Nível de ativação e qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pessoas em hemodiálise”. Ressalta-se que dos participantes, 63% eram homens, a idade média foi de 59,23+ 15 anos e 74,1% realizavam tratamento há menos de cinco anos. O escore médio da ativação do paciente foi de 60,85 +15,57, sendo a mediana de 53,2 (intervalo de confiança: 58,4 – 63,3). Associou-se à maior prevalência de alta ativação possuir nível superior de ensino e não necessitar de cuidador e à menor prevalência de alta ativação ter o domicílio classificado como B2 ou D-E e não ter realizado previamente outra terapia renal substitutiva. Em relação a ativação e qualidade de vida, o nível de ativação foi associado aos domínios sintomas, funcionamento físico, saúde geral, bem-estar emocional, energia/fadiga e o componente mental da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. Conclusão: a maior parte de pessoas em hemodiálise não possuem habilidades, conhecimentos e motivações o suficiente para serem responsáveis pelo autogerenciamento de sua saúde, o que reforça a relevância da atuação profissional em realizar intervenções de saúde que visem melhorar os níveis de ativação dessa população.

Test-Retest Reliability of the Patient Activation Measure-13 in Adults with Substance Use Disorders and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Patient Activation Measure-13 (PAM-13) is a valid and widely used questionnaire that assess an individual’s knowledge, confidence, and skills for self-management of their chronic illness. Although there is some evidence regarding its reliability, the test–retest reliability has not been investigated among patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) or schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We investigated the internal consistency and test–retest reliability of PAM-13 in these populations. Test–retest reliability was analysed using data from 29 patients with SUDs and 28 with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Cronbach’s α and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) scores were used to examine internal consistency and test–retest reliability, respectively. Of the 60 collected test–retest questionnaires, 57 were included in the analyses. No mean differences between time one (T1) and time two (T2) were observed in either patient group, except for item 12 in schizophrenia spectrum disorders patients (p < 0.05). Internal consistency for T1 and T2 was 0.75 and 0.84 in SUDs patients and 0.87 and 0.81 in schizophrenia spectrum disorders patients, respectively. The ICC was r = 0.86 in patients with SUDs and r = 0.93 in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. To conclude, PAM-13 showed good internal consistency and test–retest reliability in SUDs and schizophrenia spectrum disorders patients.

Nível de ativação e qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pessoas em hemodiálise

Resumo Objetivo associar o nível de ativação com a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde de pessoas que realizam o tratamento hemodialítico. Método estudo quantitativo, transversal e correlacional com 162 pessoas em tratamento hemodialítico. Os dados foram coletados por meio da aplicação de questionários para a caracterização sociodemográfica, socioeconômica e clínica do Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form e da escala Patient Activation Measure. Os dados secundários foram coletados por meio do prontuário médico. Para a análise dos dados, utilizaram-se a estatística descritiva e a regressão logística. Resultados a ativação do paciente em hemodiálise associou-se positivamente com os domínios sintomas, funcionamento físico, saúde geral, bem-estar emocional, energia/fadiga e o componente mental da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde. Conclusão e implicação para a prática como a ativação apresenta relação com a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde, na prática assistencial, essa métrica deve ser considerada ao implementar medidas que visem a aumentar a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde das pessoas em hemodiálise.

Knowing in Nurses’ Belief and Attitude about Patient Activation: A Validation of the Korean Clinician Support for Patient Activation Measure Using Rasch Analysis

Background: Patient engagement is considered a critical factor in improving healthcare delivery. This study aimed to test the Korean version of the Clinician Support for Patient Activation Measure (CS-PAM) using Rasch analysis, and to explore nurses’ beliefs about patient self-management. Methods: A cross-sectional, exploratory study design was employed. The staff nurses who were recruited from six hospitals were requested to complete the Korean CS-PAM. Their responses were subsequently subjected to Rasch analysis to validate the Korean CS-PAM. The CS-PAM was paraphrased into Korean using the standardized forward–backward translation method. Results: The internal consistency of the scale had good Cronbach’s alpha value. For all items, the infit and outfit statistics fell well within the acceptable range of 0.5–1.5. This measure formed a unidimensional Guttman-like scale that explained 54.7% of the variance. Conclusions: The Korean version of the CS-PAM showed good psychometric properties and appeared to be consistent with the meaning of the original CS-PAM. However, the items have a somewhat different ranking order when compared to the English and Dutch versions. The instrument might be useful for identifying the supportive beliefs and attitudes of nurses or healthcare providers in order to improve patient activation in healthcare.