1. Telephonic Health Coaching: How to do it best Erin MB Ratelis Master of Business Communication Final Project Presentation May 2006

2. Employers challenge Blue Cross Help us… Manage rising health care costs Improve employee health Find a solution that… Targets high risk employees Costs less Is easy to administer Is private & confidential Creates return on investment

3. Blue Cross responds Telephonic health coaching program Provides 1:1 support from a health professional Uses phone-based communication Engages high risk employees Focuses on health behaviors a person can change Motivates and supports

4. Now that employers have purchased… We need to assess the Blue Cross program Challenges Literature lacks direction There are multiple health coaching models Best practice guidelines don’t exist

5. Research Question Can best practices for telephonic health coaching be identified?

6. Methodology Surveyed 52 health promotion experts 23 experts responded (40%) 15 experts had 11+ years experience

7. Methodology Web-based survey Survey was divided into three best practice categories 1. Engagement 2. Delivery 3. Results

8. Key Findings: Engagement Question Who responds best to a health coaching program? Response People who have started to make a health behavior change respond best to health coaches

9. Key Findings: Engagement Employers should provide an incentive to employees who participate in a health coaching program

10. Key Findings: Delivery Question What type of health professional is most qualified to be a health coach? Nurses, Psychologists, Health educators, Specialists Response Health educators are most qualified to be health coaches

11. Key Findings: Delivery How long should one telephonic health coaching session last?

12. Key Findings: Results How long will it take to measure results of a health coaching program?

13. Can best practices be defined? Yes Provide an incentive to health coaching program participants – premium credits work best! Connect “action takers” with a health coach Recruit and train health educators to be health coaches Engage participants in phone dialog at least 5 times during a year-long program

14. Can best practices be defined? Yes Engage participants in an 11-20 minute conversation per call Focus on no more than two health topics per call Facilitate health coaching dialog via email as well Measure program results after one year

15. Recommendations Share findings with employers Modify Blue Cross program based on key findings Continue to connect with experts

16. What questions do you have?