OBJECTIVE

To measure patient activation and its relationship to glycemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes who had not participated in a formal diabetes self-management education program as a baseline assessment for tailoring diabetes education in a primary care setting.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Patient activation was assessed in a stratified, cross-sectional study of adults with controlled ( = 21) and uncontrolled ( = 27) type 2 diabetes, who were receiving primary care at a unique family practice center of Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, Tex.

RESULTS

The mean patient activation was 66.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 60.8-71.2) among patients with uncontrolled diabetes and 63.7 (55.9-71.5) among those with controlled diabetes ( = 0.607). A significant association was observed between the self-management behavior score and activation among patients whose glycemia was under control (ρ = 0.73, = 0.01) as well as among patients with uncontrolled glycemia (ρ = 0.48, < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Although activation is correlated with self-management and may be important in tailored patient-centered approaches to improving diabetes care outcomes, the highest stage of activation may be necessary to achieve glycemic control. These findings reinforce the importance of conducting prerequisite needs assessments so diabetes educators are able to tailor their educational interventions to individual patients' needs and readiness to take action.