Understanding How eHealth Coaches Tailor Support For Weight Loss: Towards the Design of Person-Centered Coaching Systems

Abstract

eHealth coaching is a promising approach for delivering effective, person-centered, digital health interventions. Yet, the way eHealth coaches 'tailor' interventions using technology is currently unclear. This study aims to understand how eHealth coaches tailor support to clients seeking to lose weight. Nine in-depth interviews with eHealth coaches were conducted. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, deriving three themes: 'Understanding the client,' 'Adapting Support,' and 'Navigating challenges.' Coaches used both assessment tools and their growing relationship to understand client's needs. Coaches adapted the pace and nature of educational content, utilized their clients' preferred technologies, and adopted different personas to meet the needs of each individual. Providing tailored support also presented challenges for eHealth coaches, with technology eroding personal and professional boundaries. Our work interrogates what it means to 'tailor' support, through exploring coaching as a humanistic approach to behaviour change, with implications for the design of person-centered digital coaching interventions/systems.