Results of the Health Coaching in Primary Care study, released today, show that patients receiving health coaching from medical assistants have better control of major cardiovascular risk factors (like high hemoglobin A1c and LDL cholesterol) than patients in usual care after one year. The randomized controlled trial, funded by the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, found that patients who received coaching were more likely to reach their goal for one or more of the study conditions compared to patients in usual care (46 vs. 34% reaching goal). Almost half of diabetic patients who received coaching met their goal for hemoglobin A1c (49%), versus 27% in the usual care arm. Download the study findings at the Annals of Family Medicine here.