Health Coaching: A Concept Analysis

Abstract

PURPOSE: Variations in the use of health coaching documented in the literature indicate a lack of conceptual clarity. The purpose of this article was to clarify the meaning of health coaching and propose an operational definition. CONCLUSIONS: Seven attributes were identified and used to propose an operational definition of health coaching as a goal-oriented, client-centered partnership that is health-focused and occurs through a process of client enlightenment and empowerment. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: This operational definition and the proposed empirical measures of each attribute can be used to validate the presence of health coaching, develop theory-based applications, and consistently test the effectiveness of interventions using this concept.