26.04.16
NHS organisations invited to bid for tool to help patients make care decisions
Tools to help patients make decisions about their own care are being offered to NHS organisations.
NHS organisations can apply for licences to use the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), which helps patients assess and build their knowledge, skills and confidence to be able to make more decisions about their own care.
It was piloted in five CCGs and the UK Renal Registry two years ago and will now be expanded, serving up to 1.8 million patients, as part of the NHS’ five-year Self Care Programme.
Dr Alf Collins, NHS England national clinical advisor, said: “Truly empowering patients to keep themselves well, manage their conditions and stay out of hospitals requires health professionals to understand the needs, the skills, and the confidence of the individual patient they are working with.
“The PAM shows real promise as a tool to achieve this, and I look forward to seeing how more local areas can use it in innovative ways to provide care which is more person-centred, delivering better outcomes for patients and better value for taxpayers.”
The NHS said that the PAM could help patients stay in control of their own health, a key goal of the NHS Five Year Forward View.
An independent evaluation of PAM by Leicester University said: “The PAM continues to be regarded as a tool that can be used to help move from a healthcare provider focused, paternalistic model of service delivery to a more personalised, holistic, multi-provider model in which the patient is given the most appropriate support to self-manage. The PAM is seen by many as a tool that measures a concept likely to be of use and significance to a diverse range of stakeholders.”
However, it pointed out a number of limitations identified in pilot schemes, including a lack of clarity of purpose around PAM and a need to identify the best point to use it and not let it become a ‘gatekeeping’ tool.
Staff also reported that some patients struggled to use it, either because the tool relies on their self-insight, because they had multiple health problems and came up with different results depending on which ones they used, and providers lacking the time and resources to act on data gathered from it.
They also said that PAM worked best when patients had a good rapport with clinicians.
Dr Ollie Hart, GP and clinical lead for person-centred care at Sheffield CCG, where PAM was trialled with patients with mental health problems, diabetes and long-term health conditions, said: “In Sheffield, we have been finding PAM a really useful tool for tailoring our level of support and health coaching to match a person’s needs.
“By embedding it in our processes for supporting people with diabetes, we have gained a better understanding of patients’ needs and behaviours, allowing us to ensure that resources – particularly staff time – are being used more effectively for their benefit.”
Around 40 licences are available to use the PAM, and applications are open until 12pm on 17 May. To find out more, click here.