Effectiveness of a minimal virtual motivational interviewing training for first years medical students: differentiating between pre-test and then-test. Issue 6 (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Plass, Anne Marie; Covic, Amra; Lohrberg, Louisa; Albright, Glenn; Goldman, Ron; Von Steinbüchel, Nicole
• Is Part Of: Patient education and counseling. Volume 105:Issue 6(2022)
• Page Start: 1457
• Page End: 1462
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: Virtual Game -- Motivational Interviewing -- First year medical students -- Thentest -- Minimal Intervention Strategy -- Response Shift; Patient education -- Periodicals; Health counseling -- Periodicals; Health education -- Periodicals; Counseling -- Periodicals; Patient Education -- Periodicals; Éducation des patients -- Périodiques; Counseling -- Périodiques; Éducation sanitaire -- Périodiques; 615.5071
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.09.020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0738-3991

Abstract

Highlights: Training patient-centered communication techniques not time-consuming. Brief virtual Motivational Interviewing Training effective for first years students. Early training raises awareness about intrinsic knowledge and skills already present. Future educational effect-evaluations should use both a pre-test and a then-test. The extent to which response shift differs and might be absent in some participants. Abstract: Background: Shifting towards patient-centeredness, medical doctors need patient-centered communication skills. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based, collaborative, goal-oriented communication technique to strengthen a person's own motivation and commitment to change. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief virtual role-play MI-training program on MI-knowledge and skills in first-year undergraduate medical students, making use of both a pre-test and a then-test (retrospective pre-test) to check for response shift in evaluating the educational intervention. Methods: Four 10–15 min MI-game-based training conversations embedded in the Kognito Conversation Platform™ were offered to the students using a single-group Interrupted Time Series design. Results: Participants included 339 undergraduate medical students (RR= 83.1%). The one-hour MI virtual training proved effective in two ways: participants gained knowledge and skills, and increased awareness of the existing intrinsic knowledge and skill they already possess to communicate with future patients in a patient-centered way. Conclusion: A brief one-hour MI-training simulation can be effective even if offered at an early stage during medical education. Furthermore, response shift varied and was not present in all students. Practice Implication: The addition of a then-test to the study design reveals results that otherwise would not have been found.