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Patient Activation and Health Literacy: What's the Difference? How Do Each Contribute to Health Outcomes
1Health Policy Research Group, University of Oregon.
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics
|October 4, 2017
Summary
Health literacy and patient activation are distinct concepts crucial for health outcomes. Interventions must address both skill-based health literacy and confidence-based patient activation for maximum impact.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Patient Engagement
- Health Communication
Background:
- Health literacy and patient activation are key determinants of health outcomes.
- Understanding the distinct nature and measurement of these constructs is essential for effective healthcare interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define health literacy and patient activation.
- To discuss measurement strategies for each construct.
- To review evidence linking them to health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies examining health literacy and patient activation.
- Analysis of correlations and independent contributions to outcomes.
- Comparison of predictive power for behaviors and health understanding.
Main Results:
- Health literacy and patient activation are separate, moderately correlated concepts.
- Both constructs independently contribute to health outcomes.
- Patient activation often predicts behaviors/outcomes, while health literacy predicts information use.
Conclusions:
- Interventions must target both health literacy and patient activation, as they are not interchangeable.
- Distinct pathways for intervention exist due to differences in construct definitions (skills vs. skills plus confidence/beliefs).
- Future research should explore these differing pathways for improved patient outcomes.
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