5 top qualities of health coaches

5 top qualities of health coaches

What does it take to be a “good” health coach?

By nature, most health coaches work directly with clients seeking support from a professional to implement lifestyle changes aimed at improving their health and well-being.

Your customers are people with history, beliefs, values, culture and knowledge. Therefore, it is as important for health coaches to develop social and interpersonal qualities and skills as it is for them to develop a deep understanding of the science of illness, wellness, and health.

When health coaches fail to embrace the qualities their clients believe are important, it can impact their relationships with their clients and impact clients' ability or willingness to follow through on plans.

What are the most common qualities people look for in health coaches? How do these characteristics influence customer satisfaction and adherence to health plans?

Here are the five qualities people look for in healthcare professionals, includingHealth and wellness coach.

5 Qualities of Quality Health Coaches According to Customers

access

Customers appreciate the ability to see their health coaches on short notice. They also value short waiting times and the return of their calls. All of these elements relate to a person's access to their health and wellness coaches when they need it most. The availability of a health coach should be a stark contrast to wait times in healthcare systems, where people are often left waiting up to two months for an appointment with their doctors.

If appointments are not available, clients are welcome to contact their health coach by phone, email or text to answer questions and express concerns.

What this means for health coaches: Keep the lines of communication open with the clients you work with. Make it clear to them when and how they can contact you if they have questions about their health goals.

Excellent communication skills

Clients really appreciate the personal attention from their health coach during and between appointments. They are looking for trainers who are great listeners, give clients their full attention, and take their concerns seriously. They don't dismiss what customers are feeling and encourage customers and family members to ask questions.

Another element of communication that customers value is that healthcare professionals provide a sense of partnership with the patient by actively participating in healthcare decisions and listening to clients as they express opinions and concerns.

Finally, clients appreciate it when their health coaches candidly provide information to their clients in a conversational yet direct style.

What this means for health coaches: Focus on actively listening, collaboratively developing solutions, and openly providing information about their health status and treatment options in a simple yet conversational way.

personality and behavior

Clients value warm, personal qualities in the health coaches they seek. This includes:

Kindness: a good bedside manner, personable, caring and pleasant Humanity and Caring: a genuine outward sense of concern for the patient's well-being and desire to meet their needs Support and Understanding: showing empathy and putting the customer's interests first Trust: feeling customers you can trust them with their well-being to guide healthcare professionals. They should feel safe and secure with their healthcare providers. Involvement of family members and children: concern about how the family is doing and attention to all family members

What this means for health coaches: Show your clients that you truly care about their well-being by showing them that you empathize with their experience and respect their decisions. If your client requests, you can also provide information and support to their family members.

Quality of coaching

In addition to evaluating some personal aspects of the healthcare professional and their approach to clients, people look for technically competent, thorough examination and treatment consultants and consider other options for care before recommending medications.

People also value health and wellness coaches who are willing to work with health teams to advocate for their clients.

What this means for health coaches: Stay up-to-date on the latest research on your clients' conditions and communicate with their primary healthcare providers if they have concerns about their treatment.

Continuity of Care

After the patient leaves the doctor's office, the condition continues to be a problem during treatment. Patients who then become clients of a health coach greatly appreciate it when their health coach contacts them and refers them to other health specialists to address all aspects of their health.

An important part of referring clients to specialized professionals is for health professionals to communicate with each other to coordinate care strategies. This gives customers the feeling that there is a team working together for their health.

What this means for health coaches: The health coach plays an important role in providing a longer-term, consistent presence with people who have concerns about their health. Work to build partnerships with physicians so you can provide support.

Want to know what other qualities are important for health and wellness coaches?Read this article.

The role of a health coach in a multidisciplinary health team

Research shows that doctors can only spend in between fifteen and eighteen minutes with each patient during their consultation due to other time constraints. If people feel like they don't have enough time with their doctors, then has a negative impact on patient satisfaction. They leave with unanswered questions, confusion, or a lack of clarity about how to apply health recommendations.

One way to overcome the problems that can arise from a doctor's limited time with his patients is to have them treated by a multidisciplinary healthcare team that includes a health coach.

Studies show that health coaches help strengthen people's trust in primary care providers. Health coach can help provide self-management support, bridge the gap between clinician and patient, assist clients in navigating the healthcare system, offer emotional support, and serve as a continuity figure after the patient leaves the hospital or clinic.

... more about that in the next part.
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