The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a well-tested measure that predicts health outcomes.

Measuring PAM scores for clinical care

The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) scores are a useful tool for healthcare professionals to evaluate a patient's capacity to comprehend and enhance their health. However, it is not always necessary to disclose PAM scores to patients. Patients classified as Level 1 and 2 may experience reduced motivation if they are informed of their scores.

Collecting PAM scores

PKB's Success team can configure PAM questionnaire for your patients to fill out the answers in a PKB questionnaire. PKB recommends the abbreviated 13 questions version of PAM. Each patient's answers go to a professional – either the professional user in PKB who sent the PAM questionnaire to the patient, or the professional to who the patient chose to send the answers to.

The professional calculates the score from the answers of the patient. PKB software does not currently calculate the score.

Your organisation must have a license to use PAM questionnaires from Insignia, the company which created the PAM score.

Acting on PAM scores

Level 1 and 2 patients are easily overwhelmed so information should be delivered in smaller and simpler chunks. Level 3 and 4 patients are interested and empowered so information should be detailed and actionable. The best way to do this is by providing different care plan templates for patients based on the PAM score of the patient.

Measuring PAM scores for research

Some organisations have measured PAM scores before and after using PKB with patients and found that PKB improves PAM scores. This allows identifying a short-term improvement with long-term implications. PKB encourages all its customers to measure PAM scores for patients.

It is important not to measure the PAM score using PKB to evaluate PKB. Patients who are confident users of PKB will fill out the questionnaire in PKB, and that will skew the research numbers. Instead, PKB customers should use Insignia's questionnaire software to collect PAM scores for users of PKB and a control group of non-users of PKB.

PKB has paid for the license for PAM scores for research purposes. If you would like to do this, contact research@patientsknowbest.com and read the research.patientsknowbest.com wiki.

PAM Questionnaire

Key objectives

To use PKB to facilitate remote communication and monitoring with patients.

Outcome measures

To equip patients with a tool to support self-management of their health and wellbeing, as well as providing a facility to interact digitally rather than relying on a face-to-face questionnaire.

Current Baselines

All activity is face-to-face, patients are travelling large distances, and their follow-ups aren’t being efficiently, or effectively managed.

Workflow

1. Team: Send PAM questionnaire to patient cohort

2. Patient: Views appointment in their PKB record

3. Patient: Attends virtual or face-to-face appointment

4. Team: Views patients PKB record

5. Team: Adds care plan to the patient's record

6. Patient: Uses care plan to record wishes

7. Team: Has the ability to view patients care plan

PAM questionnaire Template

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