Patient Activation and Diabetes Self-care 1 Rask et al Patient Activation Is Associated With Healthy Behaviors and Ease in Managing Diabetes in an Indigent Population Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess the validity of the patient activation construct as measured by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) survey by correlating PAM scores with diabetes self-management behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge in a predominantly minority and uninsured population. Methods A convenience sample of patients presenting to an urban public hospital diabetes clinic was surveyed and con-tacted by phone 6 months later. The survey included ques-tions about activation, health behaviors, and health care utilization. Results A total of 287 patients agreed to participate. Most were African American, female, and uninsured. Most respon