Study: Confident, Knowledgeable Patients Have Substantially Lower Health Costs

Study Highlights Important Role That Patients Play In Determining Outcomes.  Medical Xpress.  February 4, 2013.

Patients with high "activation" had lower costs than patients with low "activation."  "Activation here means confidence, skills, and knowledge.  The study here supplements an earlier study linking high activation to better healthcare outcomes.  The authors of the study call for a systematic approach to encourage patients to take an active role in their care.  The article emphasizes that encouraging patient activation is consistent with new health care reform efforts.