Motivational interviewing training for medical students: A pilot pre-post feasibility study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Communication Skills Training
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Effective patient-centered communication is crucial for medical students.
• Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a communication technique that can improve patient engagement.
• Non-specialist training in MI for medical students requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of brief Motivational Interviewing (MI) training on medical students' communication abilities.
• To evaluate if non-specialist professionals can effectively deliver MI training to medical students.

Main Methods:

• Twenty medical students underwent three four-hour MI training sessions.
• Students conducted standardized patient interviews before and after training.
• Interviews were assessed using the MITI-3.1.1 code for MI-Spirit, with secondary measures including caregiver empathy (CARE) and student self-efficacy (SEPCQ).

Main Results:

• A significant increase in the MI-Spirit score was observed post-training (p < 0.0001, effect size 1.5).
• Limited improvements were noted in caregiver-perceived empathy (CARE score, p = 0.034) and student self-efficacy in sharing information (SEPCQ, p = 0.047).
• Student satisfaction with their performance remained unchanged (p = 0.69).

Conclusions:

• Brief MI training effectively enhances medical students' communication skills, particularly their adherence to MI principles.
• The intervention is feasible and can be integrated into medical curricula.
• Further research could explore long-term effects and broader applicability.