Health Coaching: A Strategy for Sustainable Behavior Change

Introduction In the United States, employers are seeking ways to reduce health care costs.  In the past, they have relied on the insurer, occupational health and health promotion initiatives to assist employees to be accountable for their health.  Across the world, not motivated by health care costs but experiencing the burden of ill health---a global dilemma exists….how to assist employees to make sustainable behavior change.  Health costs and chronic conditions continue to escalate—evidence that the traditional health education model of “telling” employees what to do to stay healthy does not work.  Health coaching engages and guides employees to address their ambivalence about health behavior change. Methods Health Coaching is a structured, supportive partnership between the participant and the coach that effectively motivates behavior change.  It uses conversations in a special framework to elicit behavior change by helping individuals explore and resolve reasons for not changing behaviors.  In 1980s the work of Miller and Rollnick known as motivational interviewing, was used with problem drinkers.  Later, this technique was used with chronic conditions and relabeled as health coaching.  The model of working from the employee’s agenda, using active listening and change talk helps participants make behavior changes to improve the quality of their lives.  Results Health Coaching improves health outcomes, lowers health costs and provides participants support to discover their own intrinsic motivators in order to make sustained behavior change.  Discussion Health coaching provides the occupational health nurse with a framework and tools to engage individuals in achieving better health behaviors.  Health coaching can be used by the nurse to engage and motivate employees to make long-lasting behavior changes.    OH Nurses around the world can learn the skills needed for effective health coaching and use it as an integral part of their health promotion initiatives.