HEAL Connect: A Pilot Feasibility Study of a Patient Activation Intervention in an Aging Adult Population

Abstract

High patient activation has been positively correlated with improved patient health outcomes and quality of life. Yet, many adults over 65 years often lack important patient activation skills. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of a study protocol to deliver and evaluate an hour-long patient activation workshop, HEAL Connect. This study used a mixed methods approach, collecting Patient Activation Measure-10, demographic data, and focus group data. Overall, this diverse sample of older adults had moderate patient activation scores. The workshop was well received by participants, but most struggled to complete the surveys. This feasibility study demonstrated an opportunity to improve patient activation interventions among aging adults and highlighted a need to study barriers to data collection among this population.