Why should a Physician partner up with a Health coach?

Family doctors typically see 30 or more patients in a day. That works out to about 15 minutes per patient, including charting, and that doesn’t factor in any time for a lunch break.

 

Basically, they go from room to room, solving problems and then moving on to the next patient on their list. Truth be told, but it’s the way our system functions right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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So because doctors have such brief encounters with their patients, it’s very difficult to do significant amounts of preventive and lifestyle counseling with their patients. And that’s even if they happen to possess the skills, knowledge, and interest in those topics, which, unfortunately, many doctors don’t.

 

It’s not a secret that nutrition and lifestyle topics are not taught in depth at medical school, so unless a doctor has gone out of their way to study these topics, they may not have a great knowledge base to draw from.

 

At the same time, chronic illnesses are on the rise. Preventable illnesses, like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. People are struggling more than ever to lose weight, stay active, manage their stress, and find true wellness.

 

it’s not easy to make those lifestyle changes on your own. It takes time and it requires a lot of effort, motivation, and support. Something doctors are not in a position to do--but it’s something that patients desperately need.

 

Essentially, what we’ve got is a perfect storm: frazzled doctors with too little time, and frustrated patients with unmet needs.

 

Which is exactly where I, as a health coach, come in.

 

If doctors can hand this aspect of patient care over to a Health coach, they will.

 

Health coaches can help their patient and offload some of the pressure of their day, and give them a useful resource for their motivated patients who could really use your services. ​