Making a measurable difference: Health and wellbeing coaching
Before becoming a member of the Digital and Transformation Team, Hannah Popple was a Health and Wellbeing Coach for Wakefield North Primary Care Network (PCN). If you’ve ever wondered what type of things health and wellbeing coaches get involved with and the impact they make, then read on:
Whilst in her role, Hannah was part of a collaborative project with a researcher from University Centre Leeds, looking at the impact of health coaching on patients with pre-diabetes. Donna Barber, a health and wellbeing coach from Pontefract and Knottingley PCN was also involved in delivering this programme.
The research study, “A Repeatable Single Centre Health Coaching Programme for the Management of Prediabetes” sought to determine the effectiveness of a 16-week health coaching program for individuals diagnosed with prediabetes through HbA1c testing. HbA1c is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar level over a three month period. The study also aimed to create a repeatable and statistically robust method for gathering data on health coaching practice. This is very important if the study is to be expanded upon or repeated elsewhere.
The 16-week program involved a combination of four one-to-one sessions and four group sessions. The group sessions included:
- Introduction to prediabetes
- Carbohydrate and sugar awareness
- Physical activity and heart health
- Maintaining activity
- How to manage relapse
- Action planning
- Peer support
The one-to-one sessions, lasting up to an hour, following the principles of personalised care and health coaching, and included:
- Motivational interviewing
- Sustainable behaviour change methods
- Goal setting
These sessions focused on supporting patients to increase their ability to self-manage, enhance their motivation levels, and strengthen their commitment to lifestyle change. They also encouraged a sense of community and belonging, shared experience and mutual support, leading to greater self-management and choice.
Seven people with prediabetes and a BMI that put them in the overweight or obese category, completed the program.
The results
The study found significant improvements in several key areas. The mean average HbA1c level decreased from prediabetes levels to normal levels following the intervention, with four of the seven participants no longer classified as prediabetic.
There were also statistically significant decreases in BMI and increases in EQ-VAS (a measure of self-rated health) and WEMWBS (a measure of mental well-being) scores, with meaningful impacts observed across all these variables.
The research concluded that health coaching, delivered by experienced practitioners, using an evidence-based approach, appears to be a very effective method for managing prediabetes.
The work that Hannah and Donna undertook supports the aspiration across the Wakefield District to assist people with diabetes and pre-diabetes. It also fits with the long-term care strategy and the drive to address health inequalities across the district. Since the completion of this project, Pontefract and Knottingley PCN Health and Wellbeing Coaches have delivered further programmes supporting pre-diabetic patients as well as weight management courses, all displaying similar significant results. It’s great to see the type of projects that health and wellbeing coaches deliver, and we look forward to hearing how the learning from this work is taken forward and replicated across Wakefield.
To read the full report visit: https://tinyurl.com/492hapwm
Conexus is expanding it’s research function and is a primary care partner within the Commercial Research Delivery Centre regional hub based in Bradford. We look forward to being involved with this groundbreaking partnership. If you would like to know more about our research projects please contact us.