Supporting patient activation is all about empowering patients to take control of their health. Imagine a healthcare system where patients are not passive recipients of care but instead play an active role in it. What would it look like if every patient possessed the knowledge, skills, and confidence to self-manage their health?
Patient activation entails empowering individuals to actively participate in their healthcare decisions, ensuring they possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and confidence to self-manage their health effectively. It’s more than just a lofty vision. Extensive research spanning decades has consistently linked patient activation to improved outcomes, reduced costs, and enhanced patient experiences. These factors are increasingly vital in the evolving healthcare landscape, with reimbursement models placing a strong emphasis on quality care delivery.
This article explores the importance of patient activation and outlines four strategies healthcare organizations can use to support it across their patient population.
Why Patient Activation Matters
Research has shown that activated patients are more likely to engage in preventive behaviors, seek out health information, and effectively manage their chronic conditions. Once patients acquire the knowledge, skills, and confidence to practice these behaviors, they’re more likely to maintain them over the long term.
Still, many organizations struggle to prioritize patient activation—especially those facing overwhelming pressures to improve outcomes, minimize costs, and embrace new care models. However, these goals are interconnected. Empowering patients to actively participate in their health leads to higher care quality and better clinical outcomes. As a result, healthcare organizations that effectively activate patients can reduce costs and more easily meet their quality goals.
Here are four benefits of investing in patient activation.
1. Better Health Outcomes
The level of patient activation significantly influences their health results. Patients who are activated demonstrate higher adherence to treatment plans, opt for healthier lifestyle choices, and efficiently handle their conditions. This proactive approach results in better disease management, reduced complications, and enhanced overall well-being.
2. Lower Healthcare Costs
As patient activation increases, costs decrease, as evidenced by a Commonwealth Fund-supported study of a Minnesota care delivery system. Another study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that activated people were more likely to have received preventive care, potentially leading to earlier detection of health issues that can prevent costly hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
Moreover, a research article in Health Affairs found that chronically ill patients with higher activation levels are more likely to adhere to treatment plans, potentially helping them realize cost savings by reducing unnecessary healthcare utilization.
3. Success in Value-based Care Arrangements
Most value-based care models reward healthcare organizations based on the quality of care they provide and the outcomes they achieve—and that’s where patient activation truly shines. Activated patients are more likely to engage with their care team and independently manage their health, leading to better outcomes and lower costs. In doing so, those patients can position healthcare organizations for success in value-based care arrangements, enabling them to provide even more care to patients who need it most.
4. Better Patient Experiences
Patients who are actively involved in their care feel more empowered and engaged. They ask relevant questions, follow their care team’s instructions, and have a powerful voice in their healthcare decisions. Put simply, patient activation leads to a more patient-centered approach to care, resulting in happier patients and better patient-provider relationships.
Strategies to Increase Patient Activation
Increasing patient activation requires a multifaceted approach that combines both technology-based and people-based strategies. Here are four strategies healthcare organizations can employ to increase patient activation.
1. Prompt patients to take action with digital outreach tools.
Digital outreach tools are instrumental in increasing patient activation. For example, automated text messages and phone calls can be used to remind patients to self-monitor their health, refill prescriptions, or schedule preventive care appointments.
Healthcare organizations can empower patients to proactively manage their health by leveraging technology to deliver timely, personalized reminders. These digital outreach tools also help providers close gaps in care, leading to better outcomes and reduced costs for the patients they serve.
2. Provide consistent self-management coaching.
Self-management coaching plays a crucial role in empowering patients to take charge of their care. Effective coaching helps patients identify and overcome challenges, set goals, and address unmet needs throughout their care journey.
Like most strategies, coaching should be tailored to individual patients’ levels of activation. One study from the American Journal of Managed Care found that patients who receive tailored coaching based on their activation level demonstrate greater improvement in their biometrics and adherence to recommended regimens, as well as fewer hospitalizations.
3. Connect patients with the SDOH resources they need.
When patients’ social needs go unaddressed, they often experience poorer health outcomes. Addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) is essential for increasing patient activation. Healthcare organizations are integral in connecting patients with the SDOH resources they need. Through collaborations with community organizations and the strategic use of technology to match patients with appropriate assistance, healthcare provider groups can facilitate patient empowerment in addressing their social needs independently, thereby mitigating the influence of social determinants of health on their overall well-being.
4. Administer the Patient Activation Measure (PAM)
The Patient Activation Measure® (PAM®) is a validated survey that assesses patients’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing their health. It’s considered the “gold standard” for measuring patient activation, and it provides valuable insights into patients’ individual attitudes, motivators, and behaviors. PAM has been featured in over 800 peer-reviewed studies and is a National Quality Forum-endorsed performance measure. By using PAM, healthcare organizations can identify patients who may require additional support and tailor interventions to meet their specific needs.
Patient Activation in Care and Cost Reduction
As healthcare organizations strive to improve care quality and reduce costs, prioritizing patient activation is essential. Patients who are actively involved in their healthcare are inclined to meticulously adhere to their treatment plans.
Patients make informed decisions about their lifestyles, promoting healthier choices. They also engage in preventive care, helping them detect health issues earlier and avoid unnecessary healthcare utilization. This proactive approach to managing their health conditions contributes to improved overall health outcomes.
Healthcare organizations can enhance the well-being of their patient populations on a large scale by adopting strategies to boost patient activation. This proactive step enables organizations to optimize reimbursement from quality programs and alternative payment models. As the healthcare landscape moves towards value-based care, this financial success becomes increasingly crucial for organizational sustainability.
