Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Poorly managed type 2 diabetes (T2D) can lead to preventable serious health problems and disability. In Ethiopia, millions live with T2D, and 50% do not follow recommended care due to a lack of support and sociocultural barriers. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), including nurses, physicians, and pharmacists, often rely on guidelines developed in Western countries that are not culturally adapted to the Ethiopian context. Care coaching (CC) is a patient-focused approach that helps patients manage their physical, emotional, and mental health and prevent serious T2D-related health problems. CC provides patients with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed daily decisions and encourages self-care behaviours, such as healthy eating. CC also requires HCPs to have the right knowledge and skills, yet their understanding of care coaching in Ethiopia is not well known. Purpose: I aim to explore the knowledge, experiences, and practices of Ethiopian HCPs regarding T2D care coaching. Focusing on HCPs is pivotal for improving the quality of diabetes care and health outcomes by preventing serious T2D-related health problems. Methods: I plan to critically review literature to see what is known about the use of care coaching in non-Western settings and to observe and interview Ethiopian HCPs. First, a critical literature analysis will assess whether the Western care coaching model fits the Ethiopian healthcare context. Phase II will be a scoping review describing what other researchers have identified about care coaching in T2D care in Ethiopia. The final phase is a qualitative interpretive descriptive study involving interviews and observations of HCPs on how to apply care coaching in two diabetes clinics in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Significance: Understanding HCPs' perspectives can guide context-specific care and help people with T2D access ongoing support based on their needs, which is foundational to improving the quality of life for millions living with T2D.