Surgeon General's Workshop on Improving Health Literacy

Surgeon General's Workshop on Improving Health Literacy: "Patient activation refers to the ability to manage one's own health and health care. The Patient Activation Measure (PAM) is a 22-item measure that assesses patient knowledge, skill, and confidence for self-management.

Empirical evidence suggests that there are four stages of activation that patients go through in the process of becoming fully competent managers of their health:

1. The patient does not yet believe that they have an active and important role in their health;
2. The patient lacks the confidence and knowledge to take action;
3. The patient begins to take action; and
4. The patient maintains behaviors over time"