HKUMed Professor Amy Ng is on a mission to reduce preventable chronic diseases in both our patients and our students.

She is helping to advance lifestyle medicine in Hong Kong, by promoting healthy living using evidence-based, patient-centered coaching tools. 

As Hong Kong society evolves, so does our burden of preventable diseases, like diabetes and obesity, which can often be managed effectively with diet and lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, most patients lack the readiness or tools to help them implement these changes consistently over time.

Using a Canadian-made tool called HealtheSteps^TM, Professor Ng is hoping to help guide patients longitudinally and consistently with the help of our own Medical Students. In this way, patients will have the motivation and support to be able to implement long-lasting improvements in their health.  

By training MBBS student coaches on how to motivate and train patients, she is not only helping to improve the lives of our patients, but is also helping to enrich the HKU curriculum, while empowering students themselves to maintain healthy lifestyles. We know that students are often under a great deal of pressure. By learning HealtheSteps^TM, they can hopefully adopt effective coping mechanisms and skills of their own, to help prevent burnout and stress. In her first step, Medical Students will first coach HKU students. Once established, she hopes that community members can become participants. 

This goal to help our graduates become empowered with real-world and practical tools to keep Hongkongers healthier for longer will do nothing but good for the entire society. Well done, Amy, and we are looking forward to your results!

For more information about Professor Ng’s research, follow this link: https://fmpc.hku.hk/en/Our-Team/Academic-Academic-related-and-Medical-Staff/Professor-Amy-Pui-Pui-Ng/Professor-Amy-Pui-Pui-NG