A 1-Hour Session to Refresh Motivational Interviewing Skills for Internal Medicine Residents Using Peer Interviews

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an interviewing style with extensive evidence to support its use in clinical encounters. Physicians and other health professionals require dedicated education to learn MI techniques.

We developed a replicable, 1-hour session to refresh MI skills for internal medicine residents. The session focused on utilizing MI to address health behavior change during ambulatory visits. Using mixed presentation methods, the session offered a review of the conceptual background of MI followed by the introduction of a brief interview structure adapted from the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) technique. Learners then conducted peer interviews to discuss a health-promoting behavior and were observed by a peer and the instructor.

Based on immediate pre- and postfeedback, resident learners expressed enjoyment of the sessions and reported a perception of improved skills and confidence in MI, suggesting the session met its objectives. The session was refined over 2 years to fit standard 1-hour learning sessions in an internal medicine residency curriculum. Though the adaptations are not presented here, the slides and supporting materials were used in multiple settings with other levels and disciplines of learners.

We offered a 1-hour session to refresh skills in MI. The session accommodated the learning needs of resident physicians working in primary care but could be adapted to other groups of learners. This refresher session is not intended for nor likely to be successful with learners who have not had prior training in MI.