What is Health Management Coaching?
Health Management Coaching (formerly known at The Coach Program) is a MGPN & St Vincent's Hospital HARP initiative in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and diabetes. The aim of the program is to get the patient to drive the process of achieving and maintaining the National Heart Foundation of Australia coronary risk factor targets in association with their GP.
What evidence supports Health Management Coaching?
Two randomised controlled trials have proven this program to be highly effective in improving the coronary risk factor status of patients with coronary heart disease. A four year follow up of the second study found that four years after randomisation coaching decreased hospital admissions by 16% and hospital bed days by 20% when compared to usual care.
Who should be referred?
Patients with one or more of the following risk factors are ideal for Health Management Coaching:
- Previous coronary event
- Myocardial infarction
- Angina with an abnormal investigation
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
- Diabetes (Type 1 & Type 2)
- Non coronary vascular disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Aortic aneurysm
How to refer patients?
Assess if the patient meets the specified recruitment criteria to join the Health Management Coaching. If the patient is eligible, refer them into the program using one of the following tools:
- Health Management Coaching Medical Director referral template (Warning! - Right click on the link with the mouse and choose "Save Target As...")
- Health Management Coaching Genie referral template (Warning! - Right click on the link with the mouse and choose "Save Target As...")
- Write your own referral
You can either mail, fax or email the referral through to the health coach.
What happens next?
Once the referral has been received, the health coach (a qualified dietitian) will contact the patient to organise an initial face to face assessment at the coach's office. The initial assessment involves the coach gaining more information regarding the patient's risk factors such as current eating patterns, physical activity, blood pressure, weight etc. Then within the next two weeks the coaching sessions begin.
How the coaching process works?
All coaching sessions are conducted over the telephone, with calls initiated by the coach (at least every 2 months). The coach determines the patient's knowledge of :
- Their risk factors, including:
- Healthy eating practices
- Regular physical activity
- Cholesterol levels
- Blood glucose levels & HbA1c (if diabetic)
- Blood pressure
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Medication management
- Targets for these risk factors
- Lifestyle factors that affect their health
Where gaps in knowledge, behaviour or drug treatment are identified, the patient is educated by the coach in these areas, after which the patient and coach negotiate goals to be achieved prior to their next coaching session. The process repeats itself at subsequent coaching sessions until most risk factor targets are met.
For more information
Please contact:
Louise Aloi
Accredited Practising Dietitian & Health Coach
Ph: (03) 9347-1188
Fax: (03) 9348-0750
