Hummingbird Coaching's New White Paper on Health Coaching: Build it or Buy it?
In-house development may not be the best option for companies looking to benefit from the lucrative coaching market
Cincinnati (PRWEB) May 28, 2009
Health and lifestyle coaching is exploding in the employee wellness market. Companies interested in exploiting this market opportunity face a key question - build it or buy it?
With the goal of controlling skyrocketing health insurance costs, a third of organizations already offer health coaching (http://www. hummingbirdcoaching. com/default. aspx? tabid=7215) and another nine percent plan to offer it in the future. This is attracting more specialty and ancillary service companies, including disease management firms, employee assistance programs (EAPs), third-party administrators (TPAs) and health plans.
The concern is how well-prepared these various companies are to create and deliver high-quality health coaching services in a cost-effective manner. In a new white paper available for download at http://www. hummingbirdcoaching. com/default. aspx? tabid=7316 (http://www. hummingbirdcoaching. com/default. aspx? tabid=7316), "Considerations for Providers of Health Coaching Programs: To Build or Buy?" Hummingbird Coaching Services explores key considerations in developing or choosing a coaching program.
"Companies often believe their expertise in ancillary areas of the health market extends to delivering an effective coaching program," said Sean Slovenski, president of Hummingbird and a co-author of the paper. "Yet developing the software and retaining internal control are only a small part of the equation."
Designing the coaching for various target populations--ranging from the healthy to high-risk to chronic employees--is also an important consideration, according to Slovenski. In addition, he advises looking at the theoretical practice model and whether that contributes to lasting behavior change (http://www. hummingbirdcoaching. com/default. aspx? tabid=7203); the program's required staffing needs; anticipated communication channels between coaches and clients; and legal issues such as compliance to ADA and HIPAA regulations.
Those interested in the issues surrounding design and purchase issues of a coaching program can download the complementary white paper, "Considerations for Providers of Health Coaching Programs: To Build or Buy?" at http://www. hummingbirdcoaching. com/default. aspx? tabid=7316 (http://www. hummingbirdcoaching. com/default. aspx? tabid=7316).
About Hummingbird Coaching Services
Cincinnati-based Hummingbird Coaching Services is a pioneer in online health coaching, providing health coaching services since 1997. Using its proprietary coaching model and online delivery platform, Hummingbird provides coaching services to businesses and celebrities such as Google, Motorola, United Behavioral Health, Leeza Gibbons, and the Muhammad Ali Center. Through its innovative technology platform and coaching programs, Hummingbird provides health, parenting and life coaching to drive real behavior change in individuals. More information is at www. hummingbirdcoaching. com.
Contact:
Gail DeLano
Fisher Vista/HRmarketer
Gdelano(at)fishervista. com
831-685-9700
Sean Slovenski
Hummingbird Coaching Services
Sean. Slovenski(at)hummingbirdcoaching. com
877-240-4588
This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.
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