Enhancing motivational interviewing training for emotional literacy support assistants through action research

Many health conditions are preventable or modifiable through behavioral changes. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based communication technique that explores a patient's reasons for behavioral changes. This study assesses the current landscape of MI training in North American Family Medicine (FM) clerkships. We analyzed data gathered as part of the 2022 Council of Academic Family Medicine's Educational Research Alliance (CERA) survey of FM clerkship directors (CDs). The survey was distributed via email invitation to 159 US and Canadian FM CDs in June 2022. Of the 94 responses received, 61% indicated that MI training is provided in their FM clerkship. Medical school type, class size, and location were associated with MI training priority, offerings, and duration in the clerkship, respectively. CD experience correlated with MI training duration; student MI skill training level was associated with MI training duration and priority; the rigor of student MI skills evaluation was correlated with MI teaching methods and training duration; self-reported student MI competency was associated with the length of time students spent with FM community preceptors as well as MI training priority and teaching methods; and several items emerged as predictors of student, CD, and FM faculty MI training expansion. Opportunities exist to enhance the volume, content, and rigor of MI training in North American FM clerkships as well as to improve self-reported student MI competency within those clerkships.

A systematic review of motivational interviewing training for general health care practitioners

The purpose of this study was to develop a motivational interviewing (MI) training program to improve competency in communication and to effect the evaluated changes that would occur in dental students’ counseling techniques as result of the training in the program. The study proceeded through the program via role-play practice, which was explained effectively during the MI program training process. A convenience sample of 43 fourth-year dental hygiene students was recruited. Twenty-two students were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 21 to the control group in the order of recruitment. The theoretical lecture was delivered over 3 hours and the practice was done in parallel by applying cases occurring in clinic settings. The practice was technical training, partner practice, and small group practice. The intervention group received three hour MI lecture while the control group received no lecture. Evaluation through role-play practice was separated according to “researcher’s viewpoint,” “counselor’s role viewpoint,” and “patient’s role viewpoint.” The results of the analysis showed that the intervention group had higher MI skills and ability than the control group. Furthermore, program participants showed positive impressions to the MI training program. The use of coaching sessions improved the MI techniques and counseling skills of dental hygiene students learning MI. The effect of the application of the MI training program was that the MI training improved counseling skills and interviewing abilities. Moreover, continuous training and feedback enhanced MI techniques and core skills. Training using lectures in parallel with practice rather than education through theory alone improved students’ techniques. Application of role play through the combined method of the MI program was confirmed by an effective training method.

The more people talk about changing their behavior, the more likely they are to actually do so, say therapists who use the technique of motivational interviewing.

Effectiveness of asynchronous motivational interviewing training for pediatric nurse practitioner students: A mixed-methods evaluation.

This chapter presents approaches to incorporating motivational interviewing (MI) training in a rehabilitation clinic, department, or organization. It discusses the importance of connecting MI to the organizational mission and offers recommendations on how to determine the most effective approach to implementation of MI training and integrating MI practices into clinical work. The chapter discusses assessment of organizational readiness for MI training and implementation and offers ideas for who to train, when to train, and how to train. This chapter outlines different types and combinations of MI teaching formats and training resources, including strategies to support skill maintenance and the sustainability of training programs. The importance of and how to evaluate training effectiveness and learner knowledge and attitudes are also covered in this chapter.

What is this thing called motivational interviewing?

Despite the high prevalence of anxiety and depression in youths with chronic medical conditions (CMCs), physicians encounter substantial barriers in motivating these patients to access mental health care services. To determine the efficacy of motivational interviewing (MI) training for pediatricians in increasing youths' use of mental health care. The COACH-MI (Chronic Conditions in Adolescents: Implementation and Evaluation of Patient-Centered Collaborative Healthcare-Motivational Interviewing) study was a single-center cluster randomized clinical trial at the University Children's Hospital specialized outpatient clinics in Düsseldorf, Germany. Treating pediatricians were cluster randomized to a 2-day MI workshop or treatment as usual (TAU). Patient recruitment and MI conversations occurred between April 2018 and May 2020 with 6-month follow-up and 1-year rescreening. Participants were youths aged 12 to 20 years with CMCs and comorbid symptoms of anxiety and depression; they were advised by their MI-trained or untrained physicians to access psychological counseling services. Statistical analysis was performed from October 2020 to April 2021. MI physicians were trained through a 2-day, certified MI training course; they recommended use of mental health care services during routine clinical appointments. The primary outcome of uptake of mental health care services within the 6-month follow-up was analyzed using a logistic mixed model, adjusted for the data's cluster structure. Uptake of mental health services was defined as making at least 1 appointment by the 6-month follow-up. Among 164 youths with CMCs and conspicuous anxiety or depression screening, 97 (59%) were female, 94 (57%) had MI, and 70 (43%) had TAU; the mean (SD) age was 15.2 (1.9) years. Compared with patients receiving TAU, the difference in mental health care use at 6 months among patients whose physicians had undergone MI training was not statistically significant (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; 95% CI, 0.98-3.92; P = .06). The effect was moderated by the subjective burden of disease (F2,158 = 3.42; P = .04). Counseling with an MI-trained physician also led to lower anxiety symptom scores at 1-year rescreening (F1,130 = 4.11; P = .045). MI training was associated with longer conversations between patients and physicians (30.3 [16.7] minutes vs 16.8 [12.5] minutes; P < .001), and conversation length significantly influenced uptake rates across conditions (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06; P = .005). In this study, use of MI in specialized pediatric consultations did not increase the use of mental health care services among youths with CMCs but did lead to longer patient-physician conversations and lower anxiety scores at 1 year. Additional research is required to determine whether varying scope and duration of MI training for physicians could encourage youths with CMCs to seek counseling and thus improve integrated care models. German Trials Registry: DRKS00014043.

Technology to Support Motivational Interviewing

Can a training programme in motivationalinterviewing change musculoskeletalphysiotherapists’ practice?The example of low back pain

Objective: Healthcare training has increasingly focused on interprofessional education (IPE) to provide students opportunities to gain competencies and learn accountability. IPE was incorporated into the curriculum by creating a course for all health science. Motivational interviewing (MI) training was added to enhance the IPE process. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of MI training in patient counselling simulations. Methods: A cohort of students enrolled in an IPE course were evaluated on MI skills before and after receiving training. MI performance was coded using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) 4.2.1 scoring system. A student perception survey was also administered. Results: A total of 210 students were included in the study. Results from the MITI indicate an improvement in the four global ratings after MI training in individual and group cohorts. For example, for the Cultivating global score, 0% reached at least a fair benchmark in the pre-training groups while 90% (individual) and 50% (group) reached the benchmark post-training. Student perceptions of IPE improved following MI training with more students strongly agreeing that working together was better for patients post-training (66.2% vs 75.5%). Conclusion: The use of MI training in the setting of IPE setting appears to be beneficial. MI gives students a common language and approach to working with patients in an interprofessional setting.

Motivational Interviewing Training at a State Psychiatric Hospital

This study assessed a brief 6-week motivational interviewing (MI) training program for extension field specialists (EFS) involved in supporting a statewide school wellness initiative called SWITCH. A total of 16EFS were instructed in MI principles to support the programming and half (n = 8) volunteered to participate in the hybrid (online and in-person) MI training program. Phone calls between EFS and school staff involved in SWITCH were recorded and coded using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) system to capture data on utilization of MI principles. Differences in MI utilization between the trained (n=8) and untrained (n=8) EFS were evaluated using Cohen’s d effect sizes. Results revealed large differences for technical global scores (d=1.5) and moderate effect sizes for relational global components (d=0.76) between the two groups. This naturalistic, quasi-experimental study indicates a brief MI training protocol is effective for teaching the spirit and relational components of MI to EFS.

Prescription opioid use disorder in the United States has increased to epidemic proportions and poses a challenging problem to health care providers. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centered counseling style that can effectively reduce substance abuse, but MI training has not been well incorporated into advanced practice nursing curricula. Standardized patient (SP) simulation is an educational tool that is growing in popularity because of its success in improving nursing skills. Medical students and residents who underwent a formalized MI training with an SP simulation showed positive results. This study aimed to determine whether an MI training with an SP simulation improved NP students' knowledge, confidence, and skills in MI. A one-group pretest-posttest repeated measures design was used. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance, and qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results indicated that the MI training showed a significant impact on students' confidence in MI and promising impacts on students' MI knowledge and skills. Students valued the training, favoring the SP component, and plan to use MI in future practice. An MI training can be effectively incorporated into an advanced practice nursing program and would better prepare students to address prescription opioid use disorder and effectively encourage behavior change among their patients.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of motivational interviewing (MI) training on diabetes educators’ counseling skills and self-efficacy. Diabetes educators were randomly allocated to the MI training group or control group. The experimental group was provided with a one-day course on MI. Pre-, post-, and follow-up (F/U) measurements were compared. Twenty-four diabetes educators participated in this study. Scores on the counseling skills post-test and F/U-test increased significantly compared to pre-test in the MI training group, as did scores on the helping skill self-efficacy post-test and F/U-test. Session management self-efficacy post-test scores also increased significantly compared to pre-test in the MI training group. There were no significant differences in pre-post and pre-F/U scores in the control group. Diabetes educator-patient communication is an important factor affecting the management of diabetes. MI training increases the counseling skills &amp; self-efficacy of diabetes educators. Diabetes educators should use MI to facilitate patient health behavior changes in diabetes education.