Activating Seniors to Improve Chronic Disease Care: Results from a Pilot Intervention Study

  1. Dominick L. Frosch PhD,
  2. David Rincon BA,
  3. Socorro Ochoa,
  4. Carol M. Mangione MD, MSPH

Article first published online: 19 JUL 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02980.x

Issue

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Volume 58, Issue 8, pages 1496–1503, August 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Frosch, D. L., Rincon, D., Ochoa, S. and Mangione, C. M. (2010), Activating Seniors to Improve Chronic Disease Care: Results from a Pilot Intervention Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 58: 1496–1503. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02980.x

Author Information

  1. From the *Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, California; and †Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, and ‡Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.

*Address correspondence to Dominick L. Frosch, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, 795 El Camino Real, Ames Building, Palo Alto, CA 94301. E-mail: froschd@pamfri.org

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 3 AUG 2010
  2. Article first published online: 19 JUL 2010

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Keywords:

  • chronic diseases;
  • patient activation;
  • self-management

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of an activation intervention delivered in community senior centers to improve health outcomes for chronic diseases that disproportionately affect older adults.

DESIGN: Two-group quasi-experimental study.

SETTING: Two Los Angeles community senior centers.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixteen senior participants.

INTERVENTION: Participants were invited to attend group screenings of video programs intended to inform about and motivate self-management of chronic conditions common in seniors. Moderated discussions reinforcing active patient participation in chronic disease management followed screenings. Screenings were scheduled over the course of 12 weeks.

MEASUREMENTS: One center was assigned by coin toss to an encouragement condition in which participants received a $50 gift card if they attended at least three group screenings. Participants in the nonencouraged center received no incentive for attendance. Validated study measures for patient activation, physical activity, and health-related quality of life were completed at baseline and 12 weeks and 6 months after enrollment.

RESULTS: Participants attending the encouraged senior center were more likely to attend three or more group screenings (77.8% vs 47.2%, P=.001). At 6-month follow-up, participants from either center who attended three or more group screenings (n=74, 64%) reported significantly greater activation (P<.001), more minutes walking (P<.001) and engaging in vigorous physical activity (P=.006), and better health-related quality of life (Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-Form Survey (SF-12) mental component summary, P<.001; SF-12 physical component summary, P=.002).

CONCLUSION: Delivering this pilot intervention in community senior centers is a potentially promising approach to activating seniors that warrants further investigation for improving chronic disease outcomes.

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