Telecoaching of People With Type 2 Diabetes in Primary Care

The COACH program trains patients to 'drive' the process of achieving and maintaining the target levels for their risk factors while working in association with their GP. The telephone coaching is aimed at improving self-efficacy by adhering to the prescribed therapy and making relevant behavior changes. The coaching model is a continuous five-stage coaching cycle: Stage 1. Finding out what the patient knows; Stage 2. Telling the patient what they should know; Stage 3. Assertiveness training; Stage 4. Setting an action plan; Stage 5. Reassessment at the next coaching session (monitoring). The coach monitors and registers: the biomedical risk factors, the lifestyle/behavioral risk factors and use of the recommended medications. Coaching is focused on eliminating the knowledge gap and motivating the patient to apply the appropriate lifestyle and medical therapy.