The HealthScore Health Coaching Program

Evaluation and monitoring are used sporadically in routine cancer care, and cancer coaching programs are rare. The potential for these approaches to improve quality of life and clinical outcomes in cancer patients is significant. The HealthScore Health Coaching Program is designed as a way to routinely combine evaluation, monitoring and coaching within a single framework as a six-month intervention for cancer patients or survivors. The primary rationale for the Program is that improvements in physical function, unmet needs identification, and self-efficacy are likely to lead to better patient-centered and overall outcomes for patients and survivors. A secondary rationale is that the framework of the Program and data obtained as part of the Program will facilitate additional quality improvement and research activities to refine the application of evaluation, monitoring and coaching techniques in cancer care. As reimbursement and care delivery in oncology transition to a focus on value and population-based management, the HealthScore Health Coaching Program may provide a model for application to cancer care within and outside UNC. The primary purpose of this study is to provide 6-months of 1:1 home-based health coaching for cancer patients and survivors will improve physical function and address unmet physical, nutritional, psychological, social and other needs which will increase patient and survivor self-efficacy for medical engagement, reduce morbidity, health care utilization, and encourage health lifestyle behaviors.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients must have an appointment at a cancer center, including if they are an inpatient, if they are seen by a clinical service providing care to patients with cancer or sickle cell disease, and if they are > age 15. They can be receiving active treatment or in survivorship, with no restrictions based on time since the conclusion of active treatment. No exclusions will be made based on gender, ethnicity or race.
• Patient must be willing and able to participate in a 6-month intervention.
• Patients must be willing and able to provide patient-reported survey responses electronically or by telephone.
• Patients must have the ability to use a wearable sensor and view wearable sensor data at home.
• Patients must have a working email address and have the ability to check and respond to email.
• Participation in a research study is allowable by the patient's insurance provider

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who do not read and speak English, as program software has not been translated into other languages at this time.
• The patient has concurrent medical or psychiatric conditions that may preclude participation (i.e. moderate to severe dementia, uncontrolled schizophrenia, or other conditions that would render them unable to provide informed consent or complete questionnaires).