FILE PHOTO:

Image Credit: pexels.com/laura james

Students from UBC's medical school are offering a free preventive online health-care service available for free to any BC resident.

In 2021, a research program was launched to study the effects of preventive and lifestyle medicine and the results were so positive that PLM Coach was launched so BC residents could benefit from this service.

"The focus is on prevention and lifestyle changes because we know our health-care system, while it's really good at some things, there are limited opportunities for that holistic, prevention side of medicine and this program fills that gap a little bit," Nicole Ketter, President of PLM Coach says.

"I was reading a recent study that said that around 80% of Canadians have at least one unhealthy behaviour whether that's excessive alcohol use or not exercising enough, and these are all modifiable risk factors that we have, and that's where preventative medicine comes in."

READ MORE: How to improve primary care services: Salmon Arm man takes part in provincial study

Preventive and lifestyle medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on helping patients achieve a healthy lifestyle to prevent chronic conditions.

PLM Coach offers these services to benefit individuals who want to live healthier lifestyles while also benefitting the health-care system that deals with a heavy load of patients who suffer from chronic conditions.

"Preventive healthcare is a benefit for individuals who want to prevent the development of chronic conditions. As we know, there are poor outcomes like increased rates of mortality, reduced ability to participate in activities of daily living and that kind of stuff for people who have chronic conditions," Ketter says.

"As well, we're seeing that lots, if not the majority of Canadians, have chronic conditions which have an impact on our health-care system. So it's a benefit of prevention to reduce healthcare utilization and, for people, it allows them to be healthier and increase quality of life and wellness."

READ MORE: Sicamous using tax dollars to ensure family doctors come to town and stay

This program is done remotely, so it is available to any BC resident who has access to online services. Other than that, the eligibility criteria are quite open.

"It's for anybody who wants to make changes to their health habits to support their health and wellness. It tends to be people who have chronic conditions whether that's high blood pressure, diabetes or mental health challenges, but it's open to anybody in BC who has access to a phone or computer and wants to make changes to their health and build a healthier lifestyle," Ketter says.

"Most of the clients who come in want to make changes to their diet or exercise to reduce their weight."

The program pairs a patient with a coach who will help the patient achieve their lifestyle goals through several appointments and resources.

"On one hand, we have this manual that is sent to individuals in the program that outlines some skills for effective self-management and background information that will help them throughout the program. On the other, which is the bigger part of the program, clients are paired with a coach who is a UBC medical student. The coaches take the students on about six sessions over roughly two to three months," Ketter says.

PLM Coach is offered by UBC medical students who volunteer to gain field experience throughout their studies. This results in a program that is completely free of charge for participants.

To find out more about the program and to sign up for it, visit the PLM Coach website here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Gabrielle Adams or call (438) 830-1211 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024