THURS-045 - Training Health Education Students for Patient Engagement

Brief Abstract Summary: This study examined patient engagement levels from both patients and their student health coaches perspectives before and after a health coaching intervention within a patient education course. Both groups completed the Patient Health Engagement Scale questionnaire before and after the intervention to assess perceived patient engagement levels. The findings showed that patients' self-reported level of engagement did not change significantly after the intervention (p = 0.163). However, student coaches perceived a significant improvement in their patients' engagement level following the intervention (p = 0.005). When comparing the engagement scores reported by patients and those reported by student coaches, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05), indicating that student coaches’ assessments of patient engagement were consistent with the patients’ own perceived engagement.

Detailed abstract description: This study examined patient engagement levels from both patients and their student health coaches perspectives before and after a health coaching intervention within a patient education course. Patient education and engagement include active patient participation in patient-provider interactions, use of educational resources, and involvement in self-management activities. Engaged patients who successfully manage their medical conditions aid in overall public health improvement. To address barriers to patient engagement in sustained lifestyle behavior changes, health coaches can provide disease self-management support, as well as education in behavior change action planning and decision-making to patients. Undergraduate health education students were trained as student health coaches through a semester-long curriculum covering health assessment measures, brief motivational interviewing, self-management support strategies, and lesson planning. Each student was assigned an adult community member with at least one chronic condition who volunteered to participate and was interested in working with a student health coach. As students learned health coaching skills, they immediately applied these skills, including assessments and motivational interviewing, during weekly meetings with their patients. They also followed self-management support steps for goal setting and action planning. Students taught health education lessons based on patient-created goals, supporting patient-selected action plans. Before and after the health coaching training and intervention, health coaches and patients completed a confidential Patient Health Engagement Scale questionnaire to assess perceived patient engagement levels. This scale measures how patients experience their condition and their engagement along a continuum. Results showed that patients perceived engagement increased after the intervention, though the change was not statistically significant (t (17) = -1.46, p = 0.163). However, analysis of responses for individual questionnaire items indicated significant improvements in patients’ feelings of positivity (p = 0.14), peacefulness (p = .007), and sense of purpose (p = 0.03) after health coaching intervention. Student health coaches’ perceptions of patient engagement showed a significant increase before and after intervention (t (22) = -3.10, p = 0.005). Comparisons of engagement levels reported by coaches and patients showed no significant differences, indicating that student health coaches assessed patient engagement similarly to patients’ self-assessment. In conclusion, student-delivered health coaching improved patients’ feelings of positivity, peacefulness, and sense of purpose in managing their illness.