Reliability and validity of the patient activation measure in hospitalized patients

Objective: The purposes of this paper are to describe the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the PAM-13 for hospitalized cardiology and oncology patients and to examine the predictors of low patient activation in the same population. Methods: We evaluated the internal consistency reliability of the PAM-13 in the inpatient setting. Construct validity of the PAM-13 was then assessed using two approaches: expected known-groups differences between patients with planned and unplanned admissions PAM-13 levels and convergence of PAM-13 levels with other measures. Results: The PAM demonstrated adequate internal consistency overall (Cronbach alpha = 0.81). Patients with unplanned admissions were more likely to have low activation than patients with planned admissions (adjusted OR = 5.7, p = 0.008). The PAM-13 was modestly correlated (p < 0.001) with each of the PROMIS Global Health components used in this study (global, physical and mental health). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the PAM-13 is a reliable and valid measure for use in the inpatient hospital setting and that type of admission (planned versus unplanned) is an important predictor of patient activation. Practice implications: By measuring patient activation with the PAM-13, clinicians and researchers can provide tailored communication and care strategies to meet patient's needs. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.