• Yuta Okazawa, Hayato Kizaki, Nobuyuki Suzuki, Wakako Osaka, and Satoko Hori.
• Division of Drug Informatics, Keio University Faculty of Pharmacy, Tokyo, 105-8512, Japan.
• Patient Prefer Adher. 2023 Jan 1; 17: 309331063093-3106.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of a Science Café (SC) dealing with medical topics on participants' patient activation (PA), a concept that refers to patients' involvement in managing their own health, working with their healthcare providers, and maintaining their health.Material And MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with patients who had participated in a medical SC (n = 10) to identify the medical SC-associated factors that influenced PA. Through a questionnaire of medical SC participants (n = 23), the impact on PA and correlations with relevant psychological measures were quantitatively assessed.ResultsThe interviews revealed three factors: "Experience & acceptance of chronic conditions", "Features of medical SC" and "Changes as a result of participation." The questionnaire results showed a positive correlation between PA and resilience and a negative correlation with decision regret.ConclusionsParticipation in a medical SC by people with illnesses can improve PA by improving knowledge and skills for self-management and increasing self-awareness of illness in a supportive environment. The study highlights the potential benefits of using medical SC as a strategy for healthcare providers to improve PA and health outcomes.© 2023 Okazawa et al.

4 keywords...

hide…