Fidelity of motivational interviewing training for dental hygiene students

Use of Motivational Interviewing (MI), a patient centered counseling strategy in the health professions, has demonstrated efficacy. Given the varied training associated with the delivery of health interventions, it is essential adherence and competence are equivocally assured. Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) coding evaluated our recorded standardized patient oral assessment and planning sessions to identify the skills in which MI-trained students (n = 26) performed compared to student counterparts (n = 24) not trained in the MI curriculum. The full integration of MI in those receiving the MI curriculum resulted in the dental hygiene students with higher ratings for all global ratings, behavioral counts, and summary scores. MI-trained mean scores for evocation, collaboration, autonomy support, empathy, and direction ranged from 4.16(±0.43) to 3.85 (±0.67). All students receiving MI training reached competence in all 5 of the referenced MITI global variables: evocation, collaboration, autonomy support, empathy, and direction. The most substantial improvements for MITI behavioral and summary variables were in Giving Information, MI Adherence, and proportion of Open-Ended Questions. Complex Reflections, and subsequently Ratios of Complex Reflections to Open-Ended Questions were notably below proficiency in the MI group. Knowing which elements were adhered to well and which were lacking helps inform student MI learning outcomes. Results inform the design of MI training curricula to address areas of weakness and maximize performance across all MI fidelity domains.