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Published on: February 19, 2021
Using implementation intentions to teach practitioners: changing practice behaviors via continuing education.
1Department of Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19124-2399, USA. ecasper@nyc.rr.com
Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.)
|July 1, 2008
Summary
Implementation intentions significantly increased the use of a psychiatric advance directive procedure among mental health practitioners. This strategy is effective for well-motivated professionals in continuing education settings.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health Practice
- Continuing Education
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Continuing education classes aim to enhance practitioner skills and practice behaviors.
- Implementation intentions are a psychological strategy to bridge the gap between intention and action.
- Effective methods are needed to translate learned skills into clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if implementation intentions increase the adoption of a specific practice behavior among mental health practitioners.
- To assess the impact of a continuing education class incorporating implementation intentions on the use of psychiatric advance directives.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-eight practitioners were randomized into two groups: one receiving implementation intention training and a control group.
- Implementation intention training involved participants planning the time and place for using a specific procedure.
- The use of the practitioner-guided procedure was measured via self-report survey three months post-intervention.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in baseline characteristics or knowledge between groups.
- Practitioners in the implementation intention group reported significantly higher use of the procedure (80%) compared to the control group (58%).
- The benefit of implementation intentions was most pronounced in practitioners with moderate post-class intentions.
Conclusions:
- Integrating implementation intentions into continuing education effectively boosts the utilization of taught practices.
- This strategy is particularly beneficial for well-motivated practitioners seeking to implement new skills.
- Implementation intentions offer a practical tool for enhancing evidence-based practice in mental health settings.
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