Patient activation is the process of establishing a patient’s willingness to take an active role in his or her care, ensuring a patient’s confidence in his or her ability to manage his or her care, and providing a patient with the knowledge and skills necessary to make decisions and manage his or her own care. Previous adult studies have demonstrated that patient activation can improve healthy behaviors, increase the appropriate use of health care resources, improve patient preparedness for medical appointments, and improve the management and control of chronic illnesses such as diabetes. However, few studies have examined the effects of patient activation on decision-making and patient-centered outcomes in children, the acute care setting, or surgery. Emergency surgical interventions present stressful and difficult decisions for patients and caregivers. This is especially true in vulnerable populations such as children, in which caregivers are forced to take in large amounts of information and make quick decisions for someone other than themselves. Strategies to activate caregivers in the emergency setting through knowledge and engagement may result in improved decision-making with improved self-efficacy, confidence, and satisfaction.
