Health Coaching Workshop by Susan Tan
Background
The worrying rising prevalence of chronic disease, often with multiple conditions, as stated in the White Paper for Healthier SG is a pressing issue in face of our ageing population and increasing healthcare costs. Healthier SG – a proactive, preventative approach to reducing the incidence of chronic disease in Singapore - seeks to slow down the incidence of chronic disease, by moving from a reactive "sick care" system to a forward-looking "health care" model. This transformation places a strong emphasis on preventive care, empowering individuals to take control of their health and well-being.
Empowering Singaporeans to manage and improve their health with personalised health plans requires more than a dedicated family doctor. Individuals need to truly understand their condition, including disease progression, and equip themselves with the skills and knowledge for effective self-management. This approach fosters higher levels of patient activation and commitment to cultivating healthier behaviours upon making informed health-related decisions.
Research consistently demonstrates the potential of behavioural lifestyle changes to extend health span and delay or prevent the onset of complications associated with chronic diseases, thereby reducing the demand for extensive medical interventions and mitigating the escalating healthcare costs. This has been evident in influential studies such as the DIRECT and SCRIP studies. However, it's essential to acknowledge that behavioural changes are a journey, often involving individuals as they transition through different stages of transformation.
Making regular adjustments and fine-tuning is crucial for successful and sustainable behavioural change. This personalized approach is most effectively accomplished through health coaching services supporting the roles of the family doctor.
Over the past years, demand and interest in health coaching services has been increasing. We see such demand and interest would continue to climb with Healthier Sg and Sport Singapore’s goal to provide around 500,000 Singapore residents with access to health and wellness coaches by 2027.
We are a group of like-minded and dedicated individuals within SBHS who share a passionate commitment to advancing the practice of health coaching in Singapore through the creation and setting of self-regulatory health coaching framework and standard. We recognised that building up a pool of competent Health and Wellness Coaches who will be able to tailor a more holistic and personalised strategies to address each individual's unique lifestyle factors, provide guidance on behaviour change, and help individuals maintain accountability in developing sustainable lifestyle changes and promoting overall health and wellness is of paramount importance and will revolutionise the way health and wellness are approached which is in line with Healthier SG.
Our vision
An empowered Singapore population with a good understanding of their health and well-being, with the ability to self-manage effectively.
We aspire to nurture competent and qualified Health and Wellness Coaches, one health and wellness coach at a time, in health care setting, in health promotion setting including schools, workplaces and communities.
Our Mission
To increase the awareness and understanding of the pivotal role of that Health and Wellness Coaches plays in promoting health and wellness
To equip individuals with the necessary health and wellness coaching knowledge and skills needed to transform lives.
To pioneer the development and delivery of credible and quality health and wellness coaching education and training in Singapore.
To establish and uphold stringent standards for the curriculum, training and assessment for SBHS approved health and wellness coaching training programmes in Singapore.
To support the continuing professional development and career progression of Health and wellness Coaches
To develop health and wellness coaching knowledge and skills education across related healthcare disciplines.
Collaborate with Government, public health advocates and person-centred care advocates to uphold the integrity and inclusiveness of the Health and Wellness Coaching Competency Standard.
Central to our mission is our deep interest and commitment to safeguarding public interest, fostering confidence and trust in health coaching within both the healthcare community and the general public, and enhancing the overall health span of the population.
