Conclusions
higher-functioning, chronic disease
CHRONIC DISEASES, COMPLICATIONS, CHRONIC DISEASE
Our primary conclusion is that a nurse health coaching program had essential health-related lifestyle benefits over and above usual care in a higher-functioning sample of community-based older adults with chronic diseases. This is an important target population for primary care practices as the goal is to intervene early in aging to stave off the complications of chronic disease and functional decline. Our sustained improvement in Further, our program uses specific theory-based strategies and methods that are replicable, unlike many previous studies in health coaching, and can be tested in other populations. It is delivered through accessible electronic methods with high participant satisfaction. Preserving the face-to-face component with videoconference technology may be most meaningful to older adults [Future studies should continue to address the standardization of videoconferencing health coaching methods, incorporating best practices with experimental designs that address ‘dose–response’ in target populations. A greater understanding of the relationship between the underlying mechanisms of effective behavior change, such as the role of participant-driven goal setting and the face-to-face component, to the complexities of multifactorial outcome measurement is required to predict better the efficacy and service ‘dose’ of health coaching in specified populations.