Independent qualitative evaluation of the feasibility of using the Patient Activation Measure in the NHS in England

‘Patient activation’ describes the skills, confidence and knowledge a person has in managing her/his own health and healthcare. Substantial evidence links ‘patient activation’ to improved health outcomes, lower costs and improved patient experience. 

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a valid, reliable and commonly used tool for assessing patient activation through a questionnaire and can be used as a patient generated outcome measure or as a method to tailor care to the needs of the patient.  Five CCGs and the UK Renal Registry are piloting the PAM questionnaire for the first time in the NHS. The Health Foundation and NHS England have commissioned the University of Leicester to evaluate this pilot.

 Activities will include observation, documentary analysis and interviews with patients who have completed the PAM questionnaire. The focus will be on capturing experiences of implementation rather than the relationship between activation levels and patient outcomes.

The researchers will work with the Health Foundation data analytics team to consider what routinely collected patient level data could also be used to find out:

• Why the PAM is being used in the way(s) it is?
• Why this particular way of using the PAM (and the activities and actions surrounding this) will lead to the outcomes sought?

The researchers will observe the six organisations’ use of the PAM seeking to observe their evolution and build an understanding of:

• how the PAM is used in practice
• how their use of the PAM develops over time
• the impacts PAM use has at organisational and patient levels
• what facilitates or hinders the achievement of the goals sought.

This will tell us about the feasibility of using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) in the NHS in England.

Contact details

If you would like more information about this project, please contact Dr Natalie Armstrong at Leicester University.