CCP Health Coaching Techniques & Communication Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A health coach is working with a patient who has heart failure and frequently says, 'There's no point in trying anymore.' This statement MOST likely indicates:
- High self-efficacy
- Low motivation due to ambivalence only
- Potential depression that warrants screening (Correct answer)
- Readiness to enter the Maintenance stage
Correct answer: Potential depression that warrants screening
Expressions of hopelessness in patients with chronic illness are a red flag for depression and should prompt formal screening.
Question 2: Which tool is commonly used to screen for depression in patients with chronic conditions during health coaching sessions?
- GAD-7
- PHQ-9 (Correct answer)
- AUDIT-C
- CAGE questionnaire
Correct answer: PHQ-9
The PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a validated, widely used tool for depression screening in primary and chronic care settings.
Question 3: When setting a SMART goal with a patient managing COPD, which goal is written MOST appropriately?
- Patient will breathe better
- Patient will walk more each week
- Patient will walk 10 minutes daily for 5 days per week for the next 4 weeks (Correct answer)
- Patient will improve lung function over time
Correct answer: Patient will walk 10 minutes daily for 5 days per week for the next 4 weeks
A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — all elements present in the third option.
Question 4: During a health coaching session, a patient living with chronic pain states, 'I've tried everything and nothing helps.' The coach MOST appropriately responds by:
- Listing new strategies the patient has not tried
- Affirming the patient's frustration and asking what has helped even a little (Correct answer)
- Suggesting the patient see a pain specialist instead
- Documenting patient non-compliance and ending the session
Correct answer: Affirming the patient's frustration and asking what has helped even a little
Affirmation followed by an open question acknowledges the patient's struggle while exploring exceptions and building self-efficacy.
Question 5: In health coaching, 'change talk' refers to:
- Statements made by the coach recommending behavioral changes
- Patient statements that favor movement toward behavior change (Correct answer)
- Educational scripts provided to patients about their condition
- Documentation of progress notes after sessions
Correct answer: Patient statements that favor movement toward behavior change
Change talk consists of patient-generated statements expressing desire, ability, reasons, or need for change, which predicts successful behavior change.
Question 6: A chronic care coach is helping a patient with hypertension reduce sodium intake. The patient says, 'I eat out every day for lunch.' The BEST coaching response is:
- You should stop eating out immediately.
- That must make it very hard to control sodium — what options have you considered? (Correct answer)
- Restaurant food is very unhealthy and dangerous for your blood pressure.
- You will need to pack your own lunch from now on.
Correct answer: That must make it very hard to control sodium — what options have you considered?
Reflecting the challenge and following with an open question empowers the patient to generate their own solutions.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'self-efficacy' in the context of chronic care coaching?
- A patient's financial ability to afford medications
- A patient's belief in their own ability to successfully perform a behavior (Correct answer)
- The patient's trust in their healthcare provider
- A patient's medical knowledge about their condition
Correct answer: A patient's belief in their own ability to successfully perform a behavior
Self-efficacy, as defined by Bandura, is the individual's confidence in their capacity to execute specific behaviors to achieve desired outcomes.
CCP Health Coaching Techniques & Communication Skills 3
A health coach is working with a patient who has heart failure and frequently says, 'There's no point in trying anymore.' This statement MOST likely indicates: