A curriculum in clinical sexuality for arthritis health care professionals

The results of an experimental training program in sexologic interviewing for a multidisciplinary arthritis patient care team are reported. The program included didactic instruction, observation and practice of interviewing skills, a seminar, and a case presentation. Trainees had gained more knowledge than control subjects at one year. Both groups improved their interviewing skills, but trainees showed more improvement than controls on problem-list generation. All participants showed more improvement when interviewing male than female patients. The data show that training programs in sexologic interviewing can improve both knowledge and skills. Programs should include actual practice interviewing patients.