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Developing effective health coaches : Experience gained in a clinical trial of a health coach intervention
Clason, Caitlin Sterner-Stein, Kimberly Hirschman, Karen B. Barg, Frances K. Riegel, Barbara
Clason, Caitlin
Sterner-Stein, Kimberly
Hirschman, Karen B.
Barg, Frances K.
Riegel, Barbara
Abstract
Objective
To identify the characteristics of an effective health coach and describe how these characteristics can be developed.
Methods
A qualitative descriptive design was used to obtain insights from a convenience, homogenous sample of health coaches, social workers, and research staff members collaborating as members of a team providing a health coaching telehealth intervention for lay caregivers. Individual interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results
The 11 study participants interviewed were predominately married (75 %), female (92 %) and Caucasian (83 %). Ages ranged from 27 to 66 with an average age of 42 years. The sample was highly educated, with five having attained a terminal degree (PhD or DNP). The participants described three themes of characteristics that contributed to the success of health coaches: personal characteristics, professional characteristics, and program characteristics.
Conclusions
These characteristics expand what is known about attributes that contribute to successful health coaching. Most can be trained or used in developing programs and interventions.
Practice implications
Our findings suggest that many of the core skills of an effective health coach can be developed through individual training, program design, and peer support. Innate personal characteristics such as trustworthiness, integrity, and compassion are hard to influence but can be identified in the hiring process.
Keywords
health coaching, qualitative research, thematic analysis
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
Patient Education and Counseling
Book
Volume
108
Issue
Page Range
1-7
Article Number
Article 107592
ACU Department
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
File Access
Controlled