Improving awareness, accountability, and access through health coaching: qualitative study of patients' perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: To assess patients' experiences with and perceptions of health coaching as part of their ongoing care. DESIGN: A qualitative research design using semistructured interviews that were recorded and transcribed verbatim.Setting Ottawa, Ont. PARTICIPANTS: Eleven patients (> 18 years of age) enrolled in a health coaching pilot program who were at risk of or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Patients' perspectives were assessed with semistructured interviews. Interviews were conducted with 11 patients at the end of the pilot program, using a stratified sampling approach to ensure maximum variation. MAIN FINDINGS: All patients found the overall experience with the health coaching program to be positive. Patients believed the health coaching program was effective in increasing awareness of how diabetes affected their bodies and health, in building accountability for their health-related actions, and in improving access to care and other health resources. CONCLUSION: Patients perceive one-on-one health coaching as an acceptable intervention in their ongoing care. Patients enrolled in the health coaching pilot program believed that there was an improvement in access to care, health literacy, and accountability,all factors considered to be precursors to behavioural change.