Lifestyle Medicine: Adding a Digital Coach to Improve Well-being
Core to the principles of lifestyle medicine is, as Baylor School of Medicine pointed out, sleep, stress management, physical activity, relationships, and nutrition. For these ends, digital health, such as smartwatches and Fitbit, already offers solutions adapted to monitor relevant parameters as preventive measures.
In previous blogs, we talked about management for common chronic diseases, such as diabetes, as a mainstream of lifestyle medicine. Now, I want to share the importance of having digital coaches. The idea is that health coaches help patients to stay compliant in their care and accountable to their own health.
Let’s take a look at the benefit of digital coaching. Findings from the study suggest that symptom relief is associated with both improvements in healthy lifestyle behaviors and stress reduction. Digital remote patient coaching can support improved clinical outcomes, patient experience, and healthcare utilization. In turn, clinicians can overcome barriers such as time, cost, and patient non-compliance to recommended care.
With digital and electronic healthcare options now abundant, it’s no wonder that digital coaches also have a stronghold in the rheumatoid arthritis patient space now. Online health coaches are everywhere — and some of them are dedicated specifically to helping people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) live better, healthier lives. The coaches also help encourage and motivate patients with lifestyle changes, offering diet and exercise advice as well as symptom-tracking.
Rheumatoid arthritis patients should remain under the care of a rheumatologist and primary care physician, but adding a digital health coach or RA app to a self-care tool kit can assist with disease management. While there are smartphone and computer apps to help patients with RA cope — and even keep track of symptoms, doctor appointments, and medications — the addition of a health coach may be beneficial as it provides more personalized one-on-one attention.
