AI, Wearables, and Data Privacy: The Future of Tech & Health Coaching
In this episode of 'Becoming a Health Coach,' host Megan discusses the impact of technology on health coaching.
Topics covered include telehealth platforms, apps, wearables, and data privacy.
Megan explores how these tools can enhance coaching practices, improve client results, and streamline business operations.
She also highlights trends like AI-powered coaching, advanced wearables, and virtual reality, emphasizing the importance of ethical data handling and the continuing evolution of technology in health coaching.
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Introduction
Hey there, friends and welcome back to becoming a health coach. I'm Megan, your host. And today we are diving into a topic. That is shaping the future of health and health coaching. And that is technology. Now before you roll your eyes and think, oh, no, not another tech talk.
I promise you, this is going to be different. We are not going to be talking about gadgets for the sake of gadgets. Although I could do that. And my friends. I've known, been known to. Go. Oh my gosh. Another gadget, actually just friends the other day. It was like, if we can find a topic where Megan does not have an app for that, maybe we'll give ourselves a bonus, but. I love gadgets.
I do love gadgets. I'm going to be super, super excited about this episode, but I know a lot of you guys don't like technology. So I just want to explore with you how technology, when you use it, thoughtfully can make us better coaches. Can help our clients achieve better results and can even make running a coaching business easier and more profitable. So we're covering it all today.
we're talking about tele-health platforms, apps, wearables, and the ethics of data privacy and what the future of health coaching could look like in the age of. Of technology.whether you're a tech savvy coach or a little nervous. About dipping your toes in. Hopefully this episode will have something for you.
So grab your coffee or tea. Let's settle in. and talk tech.
Telehealth and Online Coaching Platforms
Let's kick things off with tele-health and online coaching platforms, because this is where the tech conversation really begins. For most coaches and tele-health just aliterally means you're not in the same room with the person. It could be over the telephone or it could be on a platform like zoom or something like that.
But that's what we mean by telehealth. Once you to raise your hand. not really, but you could raise your hand if you started your coaching career, imagining an in-person session in a cozy office.
That could have been the case when you started, but 2020 happened. And suddenly everything went online and guess what?
It worked.
Businesses went online, things went online and everybody understood quickly what it meant to be online. And the fact that we could get work done online, including as health coaches. So why does telehealth work? first of all, it's accessibility. You can connect with your clients from anywhere. So you do not need to think any more about having this dream client. That lives just in your zip code or your area anymore, your dream client could be in a completely different country.
And that accessibility is there when you work with tele-health. The other thing is convenience, right? Clients don't have to worry about commuting or scheduling conflicts. They can literally hop on a call from their living room. you'll also see this more and more also with mental health services. Where people have the comfort of being in their own space when they want to talk about their mental health.
So it's. I just think. This is a great. tele-health and online coaching platforms is a great way. Moving forward, but let me share a quick example with you. So let's say I had a client, Emily, I don't, this is just a fictional example, but let's say I had a client, Emily who was a full-time nurse working 12 hour shifts. And we could never have made in-person session work, but with zoom, we schedule a 30 minute check-in during her lunch break.
It made. Coaching with her accessible in a way that fit into her busy life. So you can see how somebody who might not have had the luxury of time to be able to go and do that. Might be able to carve out 30 minutes and take a call from the lunch break.
Are there challenges, of course there's challenges. The number one thing is it can feel less personal. you really miss out on the person's body language. And for me, the part that I miss the most is that in-person energy you get when you're in a room with someone and talking with them. And it's true.
There is like when you're within six feet of someone you can like, just, you can just tell at that point, the energy is there. So number one, that could be a challenge. If you're someone who does not do well in person, or maybe you have a lot of energy suck out of you when you're in person with someone. That actually could actually be a positive thing, but in general, Being on online with someone, it can feel a little less personal. the other challenge that. Most people will experience at some point in their life. When working online is tech glitches.
These are basically inevitable, even if your system is perfect. It could be outside of your systems control. I mean we've had the internet go down then has nothing to do with us. the internet provider just had problems. the sound could freeze. The screen can lag. There's all kinds of different things that can go wrong. And even if your system is great, your client's system may not be great.
There are a couple tools that help with things like this. So for example, there is a tool called practice better. or healthy these two. Are all designed to streamline everything. So they don't just host your sessions, but they also help with scheduling and progress tracking and billing, et cetera.
So I would call that like a whole platform that's dedicated to Tele-health. So if you're not already using a tele-health platform, really encourage you to explore one, think about how it could expand your reach and also simplify your workflow.
Apps and Wearables - How to Use them Effectively
Next up our apps and wearables. And let's be honest, these tools are everywhere and your clients are probably already using them. definitely apps. I'm assuming. wearables, most likely as well. And the key is knowing how to integrate them into your practice in a way that feels. Supportive, but not overwhelming. So apps and wearables are powerful tools because number one, they give you data transparency. They give you and your client a window into their habits.
Their step counts, their sleep patterns, their food logs. Data is so important. And if your client is just marking everything down like physically and a book, that's great. It's going to give them some advantage, but. Sometimes we can be not as accurate as something else, like a wearable or an app, which is tracking. Us without having to do anything.
So that data is, can be very helpful and there can be a lot of data. you need to be careful and think about the kind of data that's going to help you support your clients objectives. The other reason why it is so powerful ties into that. it's the immediate feedback, right? So tools like a Fitbit or my fitness pal, help clients see the impact. Of their choices in real time.
So if they are in the process of learning how to log their food so that they can analyze how much they're eating and talk about that and work on that. logging their food into my fitness pal, for example, can show them immediately how many calories there they're eating in that meal or how many they would eat.
if they, if they're pre-planning a meal out. So that can really support you as a health coach. With them to give them that immediate feedback. Without you having to hold their hand and be there with them. So let's take an example here. So say your client, Mike wants to improve his heart health. And he is wearing a Fitbit. And you notice that his step count is consistent. But his heart rate during his activity stays too high. So this could spark a conversation about pacing and recovery, helping Mike. Move towards safer, more effective workouts.
So the golden rule here is two. Don't let the data replace the dialogue. You need to still ask those good questions? Like numbers are just numbers. Until you put them into context with the rest of his life. So if a client logs, a cheat meal, I don't like that word, just so everybody knows what I'm talking about. It's not a reason to say, Hey,what were you doing here?
Why did you have this meal? It is really an opportunity for you to ask and for them to explore. What was going on that day and how did they feel after eating that? Cheat meal again, don't like those words, but you understand what I mean? It's a learning opportunity.
It's a growth moment, right? So the numbers. Don't tell the whole story, the numbers, our conversation opener, the numbers are. Instant feedback and transparency for your client to know what they're doing and to get that information back so they can start to understand themselves better. There is always a bit of caution here because you can have very quickly too many apps.
and too many apps can feel like a part-time job. And so either a, you want to stick to just a few key tools, that's going to serve your your client's specific goals, or emphasize that you're only doing this for a short period of time. So okay. Yeah, this is a lot of apps, but we're looking at this for just a month or just two months.
Just to get the data, to get a really clear picture of what's going on. So remember. Sometimes simpler is better. When it comes to apps. Trying to find one app that does most of what your client needs to do.
The Ethics of Data Privacy
Okay, now let's talk about something. We really can't ignore. Which is data privacy. And this is. a really. It's a it's difficult because you feel like you're also a consumer. So you also understand data privacy, but you also, as someone who's working potentially in this area, you also need to understand the data privacy of your clients as well.
And I think as we are all consumers as well, it makes us a little bit more,Let's say sympathetic to making sure that our clients understand the data privacy that we offer or what's included. So when we use apps and wearables or online platforms, we are handling sensitive client information. Even if it is just someone's heart rate or their weight measurements. That is sensitive client information and it comes with a huge responsibility. So you can think about it this way.
If it helps, you can imagine if someone shared their deepest struggles with you in a coaching session, And later they found out that their data wasn't secure. That trust is, could be gone really. they don't know who knows, and now they can't trust you anymore. So how do we stay ethical and secure at the same time without burdening ourselves with so much in terms of with when it comes to data privacy. number one.
First of all, you have to know what the rules are for where you're living. And where your clients are. as we talked about at the top of the episode, you could be living in one country and your client could be living in a different country. And this is where it gets super tricky. So in the U S there's a thing called HIPAA.
This is their health. information protection act. And, So there are HIPAA laws or being HIPAA compliant in the states. In Europe, there's other laws and things like that. So you have to understand what are the tools. That are compliant for your area. So HIPAA is one of the most stringent compliance when it comes to health data. and so you're always going to want to follow the more stricter data privacy protocols. The second thing is you're going to want to be clear with your clients.
You want to explain how their data will be used and who has access to it. So if you use a third party tool, like practice better, or you store their client. notes along with their data in your Google drive. These are systems that you have to understand those companies, privacy policies, and you should be. Upfront and clear with your clients that said, Hey. Your data.
I store all my client notes with data in Google drive. That's where I store it, because then if they don't want their data in Google drive for any reason, They need to understand that's where their data is being stored so they can tell you, no, I don't want my data stored there. So that's why it's most important to find. Something that is already compliant.
Like practice better is HIPAA compliant and some other programs and tools are HIPAA compliant. obviously the safest is just physical paper and pencil, but that's not too practical these days. So being clear with your clients and you can do this on your privacy page, privacy policy page on your website. although that's usually specific to how your privacy policy works for your website interactions, not necessarily your client interactions. So you would want to consider potentially creating a document. For privacy policy that you can share with your clients when they sign on with you to say, here's where I'm going to store all your data. And just to be super clear and transparent with them. And the last thing in this area in terms of how to stay ethical and secure is to avoid over monitoring.
So just because an app tracks, every calorie and step and heartbeat doesn't mean you need to, So make sure you're respecting your client's boundaries. And really only using the parts of those tools that you need to help support your client's goals within the context of your agreement with them.
Building trust.
Isn't just about being a great coach is really about protecting the relationship you have with your clients.
Future Trends in Heath Coaching Tech
Finally, let's talk about where this is all heading. Because it's. It's still full steam ahead when it comes to technology and digital stuff. Tech world is not slowing down anytime soon. Honestly, it's still picking up steam and some of the inventions that are coming out right now, and even just on the horizon are truly mind blowing.
If you think about where we were even 20 years ago. So here are three trends that I'm keeping my eye on. The first is of course we have to talk about it. Is AI powered coaching.
Yeah. So gone are the days that you need to understand everything about how to do everything. because we have AI now and whether or not you. want to use AI? No, that people are using AI. Whether it's your client actually using AI because they want to create a meal plan for themselves, or they're asking AI how to do something. But, other coaches are using AI and you can,potentially put your client's data in again, privacy policy, making sure that everything is on the up and up. And get suggested tailored strategies about your client, right?
You don't need to be an expert in everything. Of course, it's all coming with a grain of salt. I always say that AI is a great. Drafter. It is a great,idea generator, but it is not. Then I replaced coaches completely because we are people and it's about using AI as a tool to help us work smarter. come up with ideas that maybe we wouldn't have, because it wasn't in our wheelhouse. for our clients.
And so I think. Supercharging your coaching with some AI is definitely. A great way to.
Have a better impact for your client because that's what we're all here about. We're all about the better impact for your client. And you know what, another way you could use AI. And this is, you can just use it as a. Brain. Partner it brains, sparring partners. This is the thing that I like to use AI for.
Let's say you have a client and you're struggling with this client. You've tried X, Y, Z a, B, C. all of these different things your client has tried and maybe they're still stuck. You could take that information. Put it into AI. This is my client's profile. This is what they, their objectives.
This is what we've tried. This is the outcomes. And it's still not working and let AI take that information and come up with some reasons why potentially things are not working for your client or conversely, come up with new approaches that haven't been tried yet. Or tweaking approaches that have already been tried to see if they might work in a slightly different way.
That is an amazing way to use AI in your coaching. Okay. I could. Make a whole episode on AI.
Prompting and things like that. Absolutely love it. So let me know, Send me an email or a voicemail. The link is in the show notes to do that. And let me know if you want a whole episode on AI coaching. or AI powered coaching. And I will work on that for you. All right. The second trend I'm keeping an eye on are the wearable 2.0 thing. Which is. These devices are getting way more advanced.
I remember again, probably like even just 10 years ago. Wearing a heart rate monitor around my chest. And that was it. To know what my heart rate was. But now you have things like hydration, oxygen, saturations, stress levels, gut health. Fall detection, arrhythmia. you name it and these devices can. Can help you track it and. I don't know if you've ever watched an apple event, but when they are talking about. Their apple watch and they have some real people who have had life-changing things happen.
It just, I think it's a really good way to demonstrate how wearables can really impact our lives. Health and wellness every day, but also in, in times of our life, when we have critical things happening, like accidents. Or heart attacks or things like that. So wearables 2.0. super interesting.
I'm wearing an aura ring right now and an apple watch. If you're interested in either one of these two things, again, let me know, happy to make another episode on these wearables. specifically, if you want that. The last thing is virtual reality or VR. I have I get motion sickness.
So VR for me is not. Not as exciting. Cause I, I tend to get a little sick. But I've had a couple of VR experiences for fun that were really amazing. But can you think about this? So your client is wearing VR and you're leading them through a mindfulness exercise while they're immersed on a calming beach setting or in the woods. Or wherever they feel calmest. it's sounds Spotify, but it's here.
It's already here. So there are things that we can do now with VR. that are just amazing. So I'm, those are the three things that I'm looking forward to watching. And the upcoming years. but what's the key thing here. What's the key takeaway is technology will keep evolving. But listen, our role as coaches. Listening, supporting and guiding will always be at the center of our relationship with the clients.
Wrap-Up
All right. That is a wrap on today's episode from our telehealth platforms like zoom and Google meet. And then more specifically, like practice better. To the future trends of what we're going to see in the next coming years. We have talked about a lot of stuff today. so here is my challenge to you. I'd like you to think about one piece of technology that you're currently not using, that you could, that would make your coaching practice more effective. Is this a scheduling platform? Allowing more ease of use for your clients to schedule a session with you. Is it a wearable or a new app.
So I want you to give it a try and see how it works for you.
As always, I would love to hear from you.
And I do love to hear from you. Many of you have emailed me. I so appreciate this. you can send me a voicemail. The link is in the show notes. You can leave me a voicemail up to 60 seconds. And ask me whatever question you want. I would like to know what your biggest question about using technology is in health coaching.
or maybe you've tried something and loved it and hated it. Let's chat. Send me your questions. as always keep exploring, keep growing and keep becoming that amazing health coach. You were meant to be. See you next time.
Welcome back, friends! I'm Megan, and I'm thrilled to have you here for this exciting conversation about how technology is revolutionizing the world of health coaching. Now, before you think, "Oh no, not another tech talk," let me assure you – this is going to be different! We're not just talking about gadgets for the sake of gadgets. We're exploring how technology, when used thoughtfully, can make us better coaches, help our clients achieve amazing results, and even make running a coaching business easier and more profitable. So, let's dive right in!
Telehealth and Online Coaching Platforms
Let's kick things off with telehealth. It’s about being able to coach from anywhere! Telehealth means you're not in the same room with your client – it could be over the phone or on a platform like Zoom. Remember when coaching in a cozy office was the norm? Well, 2020 changed that, and suddenly, everything went online. Surprisingly, it worked! Now you can connect with clients from anywhere in the world, which is fantastic for expanding your reach.
Telehealth offers accessibility and convenience. Clients can join a session from their living room without worrying about commuting. Take fictional Emily, a full-time nurse. We couldn't have in-person meetings, but scheduled quick 30-minute Zoom calls during her breaks. It made coaching accessible for her. Of course, there are challenges, like missing out on in-person energy and dealing with tech glitches, but with platforms like Practice Better or Healthie, these issues can be streamlined.
Apps and Wearables – Your New Best Friends
These tools are everywhere, and chances are your clients are already using them. They offer data transparency, providing insights into habits like sleep patterns and step counts. Apps and wearables like Fitbit or MyFitnessPal give immediate feedback. Imagine helping Mike, your client, use his Fitbit data to improve his workouts safely. Remember, though, data shouldn’t replace dialogue. Keep conversations open and meaningful.
Beware of app overload! Too many apps can feel daunting, so choose a few key tools that align with your client's goals. Sometimes simpler is better.
The Ethics of Data Privacy
Let's not forget about data privacy. Handling sensitive client data is a huge responsibility, whether it’s heart rates or weight measurements. You wouldn't want your client's trust to vanish because their data wasn’t secure. So, know your local laws, like HIPAA in the U.S., and ensure tools you use are compliant. Be transparent with clients about how their data is used—this builds trust.
Future Trends in Health Coaching Tech
Now, where are we headed? The tech world is moving fast, and as coaches, so should we! AI-powered coaching is here. AI can help generate ideas and strategies tailored to your clients, but remember, it’s a tool, not a replacement.
Wearable 2.0 is another trend. Devices now measure things from stress to oxygen levels—wearables are getting smarter. Finally, let’s not overlook virtual reality. Imagine leading a mindfulness session with your client immersed in a VR beach setting—it’s not sci-fi, it’s reality!
Challenges and Takeaways
As we wrap up, here's a challenge for you: Think of one piece of technology you’re not using yet that could enhance your practice. Is it a new scheduling app or a wearable? Give it a shot and see how it works for you.
Remember, our role as coaches is to listen, support, and guide while embracing useful technology. Send me a voicemail with your thoughts—we’re in this journey together. Keep exploring, keep growing, and keep becoming the amazing health coach you’re meant to be!
See you next time!
