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Improving Medical Students’ Success in Promoting Health Behavior Change: A Curriculum Evaluation

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Abstract

Introduction

Effective behavior change counseling is an important component of the optimal care of patients, yet only a minority of medical schools currently include such training in their curriculum.

Aim

To design and evaluate a formal curriculum to teach medical students the principles of motivational interviewing (MI) that will improve knowledge, skills, and confidence in the area of counseling patients for health behavior change.

Participants

Fifty-three 3rd year medical students at the University of California, San Diego.

Program Description

A 4-week curriculum consisting of four 2-h sessions, in a small group format (8–12 students). Educational strategies included a combination of short didactics, video demonstrations, small group role plays, and interactive exercises.

Program Evaluation

Students completed identical pre- and post-assessments, consisting of a questionnaire measuring confidence and knowledge, and a performance assessment using the Video Assessment of Simulated Encounters-Revised (VASE-R) tool. Knowledge improved significantly (pre-mean: 7.04, post-mean: 11.54; P < 0.001), as did skill development (pre-mean: 7.02, post-mean: 9.47; P < 0.001). Student satisfaction with behavior change counseling training improved from 3.6 to 8.1 (P < 0.001). Students were significantly more confident (P < 0.001) in their abilities to assess a patient’s readiness for change and counsel the patient on behavior change after the course.

Discussion

Participation in a focused curriculum on the use of motivational interviewing techniques significantly improved 3rd year medical students’ knowledge, confidence, and skills in the area of behavior change counseling. These gains may help students succeed in promoting good health habits in their future patients.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to give a very special acknowledgement to Ted Canterbury, co-facilitator of the course, who is instrumental in the success of the program. A portion of this work was presented at the regional SGIM conference in San Francisco, 24 March 2007. No funding support was received for this study.

Conflict of Interest

None disclosed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA

    Kristin Bell M.D.

  2. San Diego VA Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA

    Kristin Bell M.D.

  3. Department of Educational Technology, School of Education, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Britney A. Cole M.A.

Authors
  1. Kristin Bell M.D.
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  2. Britney A. Cole M.A.
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Correspondence to Kristin Bell M.D..

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Bell, K., Cole, B.A. Improving Medical Students’ Success in Promoting Health Behavior Change: A Curriculum Evaluation. J GEN INTERN MED 23, 1503–1506 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0678-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-008-0678-x

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