An Email Coaching Option Increases Participant Program Utilization and Coach Productivity

Purpose To assess impact of adding an email option to phone-based coaching on the number of coaching sessions completed. Design Retrospective analysis of a change in program design. Setting A health plan health and wellness coaching service. Subjects Six thousand six hundred twenty four individuals who scheduled at least one coaching session. Intervention Adding an email option to phone coaching May 1 to August 31, 2020. Measures Association of a participant using an email coaching option with completing 3 coaching sessions; overall number of participants completing 3 coaching sessions when email is offered; participant satisfaction rates; and, average number of participants coached per coach by month. Analysis χ2; linear and logistic regression with gender, age, and education as covariates. Results When we offered email coaching, 29.6% of eligible participants used the option, and compared with the same months the prior year, the proportion of participants completing 3 sessions during those months was higher (73% vs 67%). ( P < .0001) 96.5% of participants who used email, vs 92.0% who did not, completed 3 sessions before their employer’s benefit qualifying deadline. ( P < .0001) More than 85% who responded to the email coaching survey expressed satisfaction. On average, each coach served 43% (486 vs 340) more participants per month when we offered email coaching. ( P < .0001). Conclusion Adding email coaching to phone coaching can increase program utilization by individuals who use email, increase overall program utilization, generate high levels of participant satisfaction, and increase the number of participants served per coach.

Wellness Lessons from Wellness Coaching

Wellness coaching is all about partnering with individuals in a thought-provoking and creative process to enable them to live life to their full potential. A life that is built upon self-awareness and choice; and is self-directed and active. As a wellness coach and mentor, there is a meaningful sense of contribution I experience towards creating a healthier planet, one conversation at a time. Equally so, in this journey of contribution, there is much more I have learnt and gained from my clients—knowledge, insight and deepening of real-life perspectives about wellness! In this article, I will reflect upon my coaching experiences, build on and outline my learnings regarding the following: How wellness manifests itself in the life of an individual and how wellness coaching can help holistically? Top 10 wellness lessons—that contribute to the success and sustainability of an individual’s wellness journey. These include what could be some of the derailers and challenges in embracing wellness. Insights (based on the above) that organisations and wellness champions could incorporate whilst building wellness programmes.

Wellness Coaching: Practices and Preferences Among Life Plan Community Residents and Staff

Wellness coaching, a process in which a coach and client partner together to address the client’s wellness goals, can increase motivation and develop skills to enhance wellness and lifestyle balance among older adults. To understand wellness preferences among Life Plan Community residents, we surveyed a total of 447 residents from 10 Life Plan Communities. Participants were asked about perceptions of wellness, wellness activity preferences, motivators and barriers to participation in wellness activities, and wellness coaching program preferences. Twenty employees in wellness-related or leadership roles also completed a survey. To enhance our understanding of these perspectives on wellness coaching, nine residents and four employees participated in follow-up interviews. Among the study findings, the majority of resident respondents expressed an interest in improving almost all domains of wellness. Forty percent (40%) of participants said they were extremely or moderately likely to try wellness coaching, and about one-half (51%) said they believed they would benefit from wellness coaching. Staff indicated interest in implementing a wellness coaching program in their community, with 74% reporting at least a moderate likelihood of implementing a program if led by a staff member. Results indicated that emotional and vocational wellness programs were offered and attended less frequently than other types of wellness programs, which suggests that wellness coaching could help to address the need for more programming in these areas. In addition, findings suggested that implementation requires resident input to ensure buy-in. The survey results informed the development of recommendations for a resident wellness coaching program.