Table 5Health Coaching Activities

Type of activityExamples of activity
COPD education
  • Basic physiology of COPD and roles of exercise and mediations
  • Red flags and when to seek medical care
  • Dyspnea management
  • Use of oxygen
Patient decision-making and action plans
  • Action plans regarding exercise, smoking cessation, nutrition
  • Action plans for exacerbations
Facilitation of guideline implementation
  • Ensuring appropriate preventive services
  • Depression screening
  • Reinforcing clinician education and use of treatment guidelines by PCPs
  • Helping patient obtain prescriptions
Identifying gaps in care
  • Consulting with pulmonary nurse practitioner specialist who makes recommendations to bring care in line with GOLD recommendations
Coordination of care
  • Helping patients make and keep appointments
  • Helping patients obtain needed testing (eg, pulmonary function tests)
  • Facilitating communication between pulmonary specialists and PCPs
  • Facilitating communication between patients and clinicians
Access to services
  • Connecting with community resources
  • Access to psychosocial services
Inhaler use
  • Step-by-step evaluation of inhaler use to help patients correct mistakes
  • Reviewing how often inhalers are used to ensure correct understanding of dosages and to assess barriers to adherence
Accompany patient to appointments with PCP
  • Prompting patient to identify key questions and requests for visits in advance (agenda setting)
  • Sharing information gathered through medication reconciliation about barriers to medication adherence
  • Closing the loop at the end of the visit by asking patients for their understanding of the care plan, answering questions, and correcting any mistakes, followed by reassessing patient understanding
Healthy lifestyle
  • Encouraging patient to exercise within guidelines set by PCP or pulmonary specialist
  • Smoking cessation support using motivational interviewing and stages of change
Social support
  • Working with patient family members and caregivers

Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; PCP, primary care provider.

From: Does Working with a Health Coach Help Patients with COPD Improve Their Quality of Life and Breathe Easier?

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Does Working with a Health Coach Help Patients with COPD Improve Their Quality of Life and Breathe Easier? [Internet]
Thom DH, Su G, Hessler D, et al.
Copyright © 2019. University of California, San Francisco. All Rights Reserved.

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