Prescription for Lifestyle Medicine Health Coaching: Moving Beyond Patient Education.

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of lifestyle medicine (LM) and health coaching into pharmacy education, with a focus on developing students' skills to facilitate health behavior change. It highlights the gap between knowing the importance of health behaviors and actually implementing them, emphasizing the need for healthcare professionals to be trained in coaching methodologies. The paper discusses a 2-credit hour elective at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences designed to teach pharmacy students LM fundamentals and coaching techniques. Through experiential learning, students develop personalized health goals and practice coaching with peers. The course aims to prepare students for potential certification in health coaching and emphasizes the role of healthcare providers in fostering sustainable behavior change.