The effects of nurse-led health coaching on health-related quality of life and clinical health outcomes among frequent attenders: A quasi-experimental study

• Published in: Patient education and counseling 2020-08, Vol.103 (8), p.1554-1561
• Main Authors: Kivelä, Kirsi, Elo, Satu, Kyngäs, Helvi, Kääriäinen, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Chronic Disease - nursing; Chronic Disease - prevention & control; Chronic diseases; Coaching; Female; Finland; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Humans; Male; Mentoring - methods; Middle Aged; Nurse; Nurse-Patient Relations; Nurses - psychology; Nursing; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Patient; Patient Education as Topic; Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data; Patients; Primary Health Care; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2020.02.026

•This is the first health-coaching intervention study among frequent attenders.•Frequent attenders have a lower quality of life.•Health coaching improves frequent attenders´ health-related quality of life.•Health coaching supports the management of blood pressure.•The health-coaching nurses support frequent attenders´ lifestyle goals. To evaluate the effects of the nurse-led health coaching on health-related quality of life and clinical health outcomes among frequent attenders in primary healthcare. A quasi-experimental study design. A total of 110 patients were enrolled in the study. The experimental group (n = 52) received nurse-led health coaching and the control group (n = 58) received the usual care at primary health care centres in Finland. The data were collected before the intervention and 12 months via a questionnaire of health-related quality of life and clinical health outcomes as measured by health-coaching nurses. This study found frequent attenders have low health-related quality of life. The nurse-led health coaching showed no differences in health-related quality of life between the experimental and control groups. However, the nurse-led health coaching had statistically significant effects on the blood pressure and health-related quality of life among the experimental participants, especially in emotional role limitation and energy. This study suggests that nurse-led health coaching may lead to an improvement in the health-related quality of life and blood pressure among frequent attenders. The health-coaching sessions with own health-coaching nurses and action plans support the frequent attenders´ health promotion goals and implementation.