Evaluation of telephone health coaching of German health insurants with chronic conditions

Objective: This study aimed to investigate how patients with chronic conditions evaluate telephone health coaching provided by their health insurance company. Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted among coaching participants (n=834). Outcomes included the general evaluation of the coaching, the evaluation of process and effects and the impact on patient-physician communication. Results: Participants' average age was 66.2 years and the majority were women (58.3%). The majority (78.3%) of the insured persons were satisfied with the coaching and 82.3% would recommend it to others. More than half of the participants (53.3%) had learned about new options to influence their health condition. Sub-group differences in the evaluation of the health coaching were found for age, gender and medical condition. Conclusion: Health coaching might be useful in supporting patients with chronic conditions. While the results indicate a general positive appraisal, a possibility for improvement could be a stronger focus on the individual situation and the imparting of specific skills. Target groups might be selected in a specified manner for the coaching, as older participants in need of specific care seem to benefit less from the approach. Longitudinal and controlled studies are needed to investigate clinical effects of health coaching.