Randomized Controlled Trial of Group Prevention Coaching

Prevention of cardiovascular disease is a primary focus of the Secretary's New Models of Care Transformational Initiative. However, prevention has been hard to accomplish. The VA is committed to using group visits to address a wide array of primary care problems. Coaching is a method to help Veterans set and reach health goals by helping them overcome barriers to behavior change. Coaching can be performed one-on-one or in groups. This study will test the effectiveness of a group prevention coaching (GPC) intervention in improving cardiovascular risk. GPCs will focus on changing a behavior of the patient's choice that is likely to lead to improvements in heart disease risk. The coach will adopt a problem-solving approach to helping Veterans make these improvements. The primary outcome will be change in 10-year risk of major cardiac event; the investigators will also assess improvements in food choice, physical activity and weight.