Introducing the Health Coach at a Primary Care Practice: A Pilot Study (Part 2)

Abstract

It is well known that the cost of healthcare in the United States is a poor value proposition. One of the primary goals of the healthcare reform act is to reduce cost while improving healthcare quality. The authors believe that adding a health coach helps to achieve this goal. In part I, the authors discuss the role of a health coach in the healthcare field. They present the findings from a pilot study at a primary care practice managing diabetes of patients using a health coach. The findings from the study suggest that adding a health coach helps in cost savings as well as improved health for the patients.

Keywords:

• health coach
• primary care practice
• diabetes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was conducted at a physician office owned by a nonprofit hospital in the Midwest who wishes to remain anonymous. Asoke Dey acknowledges and is thankful for the research support of the Austen Bioinnovation Institute in Akron for partially funding his participation in this study.

Notes

This study was conducted at a community hospital (who wishes to remain anonymous) in the Midwest region of the United States.

The practice characteristics included the average number of patients in each physician's patient panel, the percentage of patients on the physician's panel with diabetes, and the percentage of diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia. The practice payer mix includes the percentage of the patient panel comprised of private payer patients, the percentage of patient panel comprised of Medicare patients, and the percentage of patient panel comprised of Medicaid patients.

The Lab Capture included the baseline percentage of diabetes visits with HbA1c test performed, the baseline percentage of diabetes patients with microalbumin test performed once per year, and the baseline percentage of diabetes patients with Lipid Panel test performed once per year (all lipid panel lab capture percentages for diabetic patients who also have hyperlipidemia reflect lipid panel testing performance of 3 times per year).

Diabetes visit data, baseline data: percentage of diabetes patients with one visit per year, percentage of diabetes patients with two visits per year, percentage of diabetes patients with three visits per year, percentage of diabetes visits coded at E&M level 3 (99213), and percentage of diabetes visits coded at E&M level 4 (99214).