My Health Coach Study

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The My Health Coach Study seeks to determine if health coaching by a medical assistant can help patients have better sleep, a better diet, be more physically active or lose weight, according to the recommendation of their health care provider.

Detailed Description
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The aim of the study is to determine whether medical assistants (MAs) can assist primary care providers to achieve healthier lifestyles via better sleep, food choices, weight loss and/or increased physical activity in their patients. The hypothesis driving this research is that health coaching can be done by existing medical support staff to facilitate healthy lifestyles in a primary care setting. Coaching can maximize the health of the patient population in a cost-effective way if the coaching service is integrated into primary care clinics with minimal capital investment at the outset. A major focus will be on behaviors associated with weight management since this is the most common health issue in the U.S. today. This method, if successful, should be easily adaptable to other health behaviors and in most any medical practice that seeks to improve the health of its patient base in a cost-effective way. In order to achieve a change in health behaviors, and especially weight loss, regular follow-up contacts are needed. Previous research has shown health coaching to be effective, but this has utilized programs that add on to the existing clinic structure. This type of coaching model is difficult to sustain. Utilizing existing staff for health coaching is a method we propose to more fully integrate this service into primary care clinics.

Official Title
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My Health Coach Study

Conditions
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Health Behavior

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: health coaching


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: adults age 21 and over referred by primary care physician for health coaching have telephone for follow-up English speaking Exclusion Criteria: pregnant or trying to become pregnant

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 21 Years
Maximum Age: 100 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: health coaching<br>12 weeks of health coaching using weekly contact in the first month and biweekly contacts in months 2-3. | Behavioral: health coaching<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight loss |  | 12 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diet quality | adherence to USDA recommendations | 12 weeks | 
| Physical activity | adherence to physical activity recommendations of 30 min/day of at least moderate activity. | 12 weeks | 
| Sleep | Better sleep habits | 12 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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nutrition, physical activity, sleep, weight loss