There can be so many factors to deal with when one has a chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease, to name a few. Oftentimes, patients can find themselves overloaded with information from their physician, from Internet searches and from family and friends. This can be overwhelming and can stop a patient in their tracks. Which way should they turn and whom do they listen to? Primarily, it is essential to first listen to your physician, who is the expert on the chronic disease and is focused on helping manage the illness with needed treatments and medications.
The challenge is that 80% of what patients hear in their physician’s office they forget. In addition, a patient doesn’t always feel comfortable asking the questions they need for clarification on the treatment. There are things that the physician may not know about a patient that can significantly affect the course of the disease. For instance, the patient may not be able to afford the medication or not have the capacity or support to take their medication according to schedule. The physician also may not be aware of the patient’s state of mind. Chronic disease patients may be depressed or in a state of denial about the disease which can adversely affect their treatment and outcomes.
Health and wellness coaches, who are trained in behavior change interviewing and intervention, can be a tremendous asset to a chronic disease patient. Think about it, no one likes to be told what to do and strong armed into action. The fact is, people need to be ready and prepared to change and this process takes much more than the interactions with a physician. This is why the support and partnership with a qualified health and wellness coach to work in tandem with a physician can have excellent results for a patient.
When a patient feels listened to and a coach can effectively determine at what stage of change they are currently in, they can partner with the patient to facilitate the small steps toward a change that the patient wants to make. The definition of a health and wellness coach, according to the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches https://nbhwc.org/, is “coaches partner with clients seeking self-directed, lasting changes, aligned with their values, which promote health and wellness, thereby, enhance wellbeing. In the course of their work, health and wellness coaches display unconditional positive regard for their clients and a belief in their capacity to change, and honoring that each client is an expert in his or her life, while ensuring that all interactions are respectful and non-judgmental.”
The benefit of a person with a chronic disease partnering with a health and wellness coach is to design a plan based on what stage of change the patient is in can be invaluable. The likelihood the patient becomes more motivated to change and inspired to take action is great and can result in improved health outcomes and overall wellbeing.