This study examines how health coaches respond to emotional patient cues in a digital coaching environment. The researchers analysed 88 written responses from 11 coaches to 10 messages taken from the “Bump2Baby and Me” project (a digital lifestyle intervention for pregnant and postpartum women). The findings indicate that coaches respond more frequently to implicit emotional cues than to explicit ones. Coaches effectively integrated empathic responses with professional behaviour change techniques such as positive reinforcement, problem-solving, and action planning, highlighting the complexity of digital coaching communication.
Research Question
How do health coaches respond to patient cues in asynchronous digital interactions, and which techniques do they combine to support behaviour change?
Link to the Coaching World
The study shows that digital coaching requires “digital empathy”—the ability to identify and respond to emotional cues within text. It is highly relevant for coaches as it demonstrates how to balance emotional support with practical behavioural guidance to build trust and motivation.
Importance and Innovation
The research provides a structured framework for measuring empathy in text-based coaching. It bridges the gap between psychological empathy frameworks and behaviour change techniques, providing a practical guide for coaches to assess their own communication fidelity.
Method and Data
A descriptive study based on a survey of 11 health coaches who responded to 10 selected messages from a digital intervention programme for pregnant and postpartum women. A total of 88 responses were coded and analysed.
Main Findings
- Implicit emotional cues triggered more responses than explicit ones.
- The most prevalent technique was “Acceptance,” often expressed through positive reinforcement and praise.
- When addressing negative cues, coaches frequently utilised problem-solving and action planning techniques.
- There is significant variability in coaching styles, showing that different techniques can successfully achieve the same behavioural objectives.
APA:
Rey Velasco, E., Demjén, Z., Skinner, T. C., & Impact Diabetes B2B Collaboration Group. (2024). Digital empathy in behaviour change interventions: A survey study on health coach responses to patient cues. Digital Health, 10, 20552076231225889.
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