Using Health Coaching to Improve Glycemic Control in African-American Diabetics: An Integrative Review |Biomedgrid

Background: Diabetes continues to affect our population. As a complex disease, diabetes requires multifactorial risk-reduction strategies for appropriate glycemic control. While type II diabetes remains a global epidemic capable of being traced back to rapid increases in physical inactivity and obesity, type I diabetes is characterized by autoimmune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. Diabetes is currently the 3rd leading cause of death in the US and the 7th leading cause of death worldwide. While the entire population is at risk, African Americans bear a disproportionate burden from diabetes and its complications. Diabetes remains very costly and places a strain on the national healthcare expenditure. Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is essential to successful diabetes treatment and complication prevention. However, diabetes management requires daily patient involvement and some specific skills. Health coaching has been very effective in assisting patients with skills to self-manage. There is increasing evidence of the effectiveness of health coaching in terms of patient self-efficacy, adherence to treatment, behavioral changes, health service utilization, and health outcomes.