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The purpose of this paper is to examine the use and applicability of cultural probes – an explorative participatory method to gain insights into a person’s life and thoughts – to achieve person-centeredness and active involvement in self-management education for people with chronic illness.

An education toolkit inspired by the ideas of cultural probes was developed and feasibility tested in 49 education settings in Denmark. Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were used to collect data, which were analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and systematic text condensation.

Educators emphasized the applicability of the toolkit, and between 69 and 82 per cent of educators reported that the toolkit supported them in facilitating person-centred education and active involvement to a high or very high degree. Most educators (81 per cent) reported that they would like to apply the toolkit again in future education to a high or very high degree. Five categories of educator experiences were identified: interaction and activity; person-centeredness; group dynamics and synergy; openness; and light and cheerful atmosphere. Educators talked significantly less in situations where the toolkit was applied. This indicates the ability of the toolkit to facilitate talk among participants and thereby let participants become the focal point of education. Applying cultural probes in patient education targeting people with chronic illness seems to be a useful method to achieve patient-centeredness and active involvement in patient education and to support educators in facilitating this process.

Introducing fully flexible education toolkits inspired by cultural probes may, in the future, lead to improved self-management patient education among people with chronic illness.