Participant Experience of an Electronic Health Coaching Trial: A Qualitative Inquiry

Introduction: The study objective was to investigate the experience of individuals living with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), some of who participated in a smartphone-based health coaching intervention, and, particularly, their motivations for health behaviour change. Methods: A qualitative investigation was undertaken with subjects from a larger T2DM self-management RCT (2011-2014) at the Black Creek Community Health Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Twenty semi- structured interviews were conducted and analyzed with a thematic analytic approach to explore relevant themes. The focus was to investigate the effectiveness of 6 months of smartphone-based health coaching versus a control group who also received health coaching but without smartphone assistance. Results: Data analysis resulted in four major themes (1) Smartphone and Software described how participants used the device in relation to health behaviour change; (2) Health Coach described the relationship between clients and health coaches; (3) Overall Experience described individuals perception and experience of the intervention; and (4) Frustrations in Managing Chronic Conditions, described the challenges of T2DM management. Discussion: Findings suggest that interventions with T2DM assisted by smartphone software and health coaches actively engage individuals in improved hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) control.