Health Coaching

Health coaching provides support to people with or at high risk for cardiovascular disease. The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide) recommends interventions that engage community health workers for health education, and as outreach, enrollment, and information agents to increase self-reported health behaviors (physical activity, healthful eating habits, and smoking cessation) in clients at increased risk for CVD.

What is health coaching? Harvard Health describes it this way: "Just as a sports coach can help an athlete develop and excel at a sport, a health and wellness coach can help anyone excel at living their life, even — or especially — if they have chronic medical conditions...The person who is being coached is in the driver’s seat, creating their goals as well as the strategies on how to arrive at these goals."

We've included a few resources here to support health coaching for cardiovascular disease prevention and management. Interested in more information about health coaching for CVD-related health in Washington State? Email us at heartdisease@doh.wa.gov and we will consult with you to help connect you with what you need.

Washington WISEWOMAN Health Coaching

This draft Health Coaching Guide provides information on the structure for Health Coaching for WISEWOMAN clients in Washington State. We anticipate updating this guide as we gain experience with this Health Coaching work. For more information about the WISEWOMAN program in Washington, please email heartdisease@doh.wa.gov. Clinical and community settings implementing Health Coaching for cardiovascular health improvement (outside of WISEWOMAN) in Washington may also find this guide to be helpful.

Washington WISEWOMAN Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors

Another resource for WISEWOMAN is the "Big 4" Healthy Heart Behaviors. Adapted from Great 8, this conversation tool is helpful in guiding health coaching sessions, focusing on Being Active, Eating Well, Practicing Wellness, and Steering Clear of Smoking and Vaping. Big 4 is available in these languages:

Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors - English PDF | Mobile Version

Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors - Spanish PDF | Mobile Version

Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors - Arabic PDF | Mobile Version

Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors - Chinese (Simplified) PDF | Mobile Version

Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors - Korean PDF | Mobile Version

Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors - Russian PDF | Mobile Version

Big 4 Healthy Heart Behaviors - Vietnamese PDF | Mobile Version

Resources from the American Heart Association Supporting Health Coaching

Life's Essential 8 - English Website | Spanish Website - "Respuestas del Corazón"

How to Measure Your Blood Pressure - English PDF | Spanish PDF | Chinese PDF (Traditional Chinese)

Change Your Salty Ways Infographic - English PDF | Spanish PDF

Additional Color Infographics

English - Healthy for Good: infographics

Spanish - Healthy for Good: Infografías

Resources from the Washington State Department of Health

Manage Blood Pressure resources are available in English, Spanish, Khmer/Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese.

Videos to support measuring blood pressure accurately at home are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Arabic and Tagalog, on Department of Health's Monitor Blood Pressure web page.

Many health coaches are finding Great 8, available in 37 languages, to be a valuable tool for conversations about goal setting and behavior change.

Resources for Tobacco Use and Dependence Treatment are available from the Department of Health as well.

You may also be interested in resources from the Healthy Eating Active Living Program at Department of Health.

The Department of Health's Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Prevention Program also offers trainings for community health workers and non-physician healthcare team members. For more information, please email us at heartdisease@doh.wa.gov.