A Motivational Interviewing Training Program for Tobacco Cessation Counseling in Primary Care
Training sessions that offer feedback and coaching to trainees are effective in helping participants retain motivational interviewing skills for tobacco cessation counseling.
Dr. Battaglia is a nurse scientist and MD/PhD fellowship co-director for the Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation at the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System and an associate professor of health systems, management, and policy at the University of Colorado School of Public Health, both in Denver. Dr. Farmer is a core investigator for the VA Health Services Research and Development Center (HSR&D) for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System in California. Dr. Widome is assistant professor in the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, and an affiliate investigator at the VA Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research (CCDOR) in Minneapolis. Dr. Roth and Dr. Nelson are core investigators, Ms. Do is a study coordinator, and Dr. Fu is director at the CCDOR, and Dr. Hagedorn is an implementation research coordinator for the VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative, Substance Use Disorder; all at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Dr. Zillich is an affiliate investigator for the VA HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication at Richard L. Roudebush VAMC in Indianapolis and the head of pharmacy practice at Purdue University in West Lafayette, both in Indiana. Dr. Widome and Dr. Hagedorn are assistant professors, Dr. Nelson and Dr. Fu are associate professors, and Dr. Roth is a professor, all at the University of Minnesota.
Author disclosures The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to this article.
Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the U.S. Government, or any of its agencies. This article may discuss unlabeled or investigational use of certain drugs. Please review the complete prescribing information for specific drugs or drug combinations—including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects—before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.
Conclusion
Practitioners can use MI to activate health behavior change in their patients. Training PACT practitioners to use MI is feasible. The results of this evaluation can be used to inform the next iteration of an MI training program for HCPs by highlighting the facilitators of and barriers to training.
Because of the interest in activating patient-centered health behavior change, these findings are important. The educational and practice opportunities were well received. Training with standardized patients and incorporating MI champions into PACTs facilitated training. However, the lack of time was a major barrier to learning and practicing MI skills and will need to be addressed. If effectively implemented, training providers by using an evidence-based approach, such as MI, can promote long-term health.
Acknowledgments This study was funded by VA Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Rapid Response Project 11-019. The Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research is supported by the VA, VHA, Office of Research and Development, and HSR&D. Dr. Widome was supported by a VA HSR&D Career Development Award.
