Background Little is known about strategies to improve patient activation, particularly among persons living with HIV (PLWH). Objective To assess the impact of a group intervention and individual coaching on patient activation for PLWH. Design Pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Sites Eight practices in New York and two in New Jersey serving PLWH. Participants Three hundred sixty PLWH who received care at participating practices and had at least limited English proficiency and basic literacy. Intervention Six 90-min group training sessions covering use of an ePersonal Health Record loaded onto a handheld mobile device and a single 20–30 min individual pre-visit coaching session. Main Measures The primary outcome was change in Patient Activation Measure (PAM). Secondary outcomes were changes in eHealth literacy (eHEALS), Decision Self-efficacy (DSES), Perceived Involvement in Care Scale (PICS), health (SF-12), receipt of HIV-related care, and change in HIV viral load (VL). Key Results The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group in the primary outcome, the PAM (difference 2.82: 95% confidence interval CI 0.32–5.32). Effects were largest among participants with lowest quartile PAM at baseline ( p  < 0.05). The intervention doubled the odds of improving one level on the PAM (odds ratio 1.96; 95% CI 1.16–3.31). The intervention group also had significantly greater improvement in eHEALS (difference 2.67: 95% CI 1.38–3.9) and PICS (1.27: 95% CI 0.41–2.13) than the control group. Intervention effects were similar by race/ethnicity and low education with the exception of eHealth literacy where effects were stronger for minority participants. No statistically significant effects were observed for decision self-efficacy, health status, adherence, receipt of HIV relevant care, or HIV viral load. Conclusions The patient activation intervention modestly improved several domains related to patient empowerment; effects on patient activation were largest among those with the lowest levels of baseline patient activation. Trial Registration This study is registered at Clinical Trials.Gov (NCT02165735).