Specialty certificate program teaches fundamental skills to help every member of the care team effectively engage, educate, and motivate patients for lasting behavioral changes
LEAWOOD, Kan. (May 1, 2019)– The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is pleased to announce the launch of Principles of Health Coaching™, its newest online specialty certificate program that empowers current and future clinical care professionals with health coaching skills they can incorporate in their everyday practice to improve patient engagement and adherence. The new certificate program provides every member of the care team with more accessible learning and practice resources through self-paced, interactive eLearning modules and motivational interviewing simulation.
Clinicians in primary care face several challenges in serving the needs of patients today, especially in preventing and managing chronic conditions. Integrating proven techniques like health coaching can help practices transform the care they deliver, leading to more efficient and impactful visits, increased adherence to medication therapies and better patient adoption of lifestyle changes.
“Primary care practices see and understand the need for health coaching, but the demand for these skills exceeds the available resources right now,” says Jessica Langley, executive director of education and advocacy, NHA. “The healthcare industry needs a learning resource that enables all clinicians across the care team to build, practice, and integrate foundational health coaching skills. NHA’s Principles of Health Coaching™ program offers an easily accessible solution that provides training and practical simulations and exercises that are appropriately scaled to meet the needs across these roles.”
Research shows that implementing health coaching techniques can provide positive benefits in improving patient outcomes, particularly in patients facing hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes or chronic conditions.1,2 NHA’s Principles of Health Coaching™ equips clinicians such as nurses and medical assistants with fundamental health coaching skills so they can provide patients with the information and encouragement they need to adhere to their individualized care plans. The program helps primary care practices build trust between clinicians and patients through improving patient communication and establishing care relationships. By putting these skills to work, patients may experience improved health outcomes, while practices may benefit from enhanced organizational efficiencies and employee engagement.
“The practice of health coaching will continue to play a large role in the future of healthcare, and we are proud to introduce a product that gives our customers a practical, convenient and effective path that ultimately equips clinicians with skills to better serve the needs of patients,” said Mike Dahir, general manager, NHA.
Principles of Health Coaching™ consists of four e-learning modules, followed by a psychometrically-sound online final assessment. Developed in collaboration with health coaching experts, lessons within each module cover a range of key topics such as population health, chronic disease and motivational interviewing. The program offers flexible learning through online, self-paced modules that adapt to a variety of user settings, from classroom and distance learning, to primary care practices.
Principles of Health Coaching™ also features innovative learning technology, such as the experiential learning of motivational interviewing concepts through virtual human simulation. Simulation provides a safe environment for skills practice by allowing interaction with fully animated virtual patients. Knowledge checks and end-of-module quizzes help assess users’ comprehension of content presented throughout each module in preparation for the final assessment. Users who pass all e-learning modules as well as the final assessment receive the Principles of Health Coaching™ specialty program certificate.
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