The implementation and evaluation of health professions students as health coaches within a diabetes self-management education program.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe how health professions students were trained and incorporated as health coaches into a group diabetes self-management education (DSME) program in an underserved, urban federally qualified health center.

Educational Activity And Setting: Nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy students from three local colleges were provided health coach training and then integrated into the DSME program with faculty assistance. The students connected with the assigned participants both in person and via weekly telephone calls over a three-month time period, applying concepts learned and providing patient-centered support.

Findings: Students noted self-reported improvement in their own perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to health coaching from both qualitative (weekly and end of experience reflections) and quantitative (pre- and post-survey) measures. Participants were also engaged in assessing the program directly via survey responses and indirectly via attainment of personal health-related behavior change goals based on American Association of Diabetes Educators Seven Self-Care Behaviors.

Summary: With appropriate training and support from faculty, health professions students were successfully incorporated into an existing DSME program in the role of health coach, gaining knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to help patients make behavior change.