Change that Matters: A Health Behavior Change and Behavioral Health Curriculum for Primary Care.

Area of Science:

• Health behavior change
• Medical education
• Preventive care

Background:

• Primary care settings are ideal for addressing behavioral health influences, but clinicians lack time and resources for lifestyle counseling.
• A gap exists in comprehensive training and evidence-based resources for clinicians on engaging patients in preventive care discussions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate the acceptability of the "Change that Matters: Promoting Healthy Behaviors" curriculum.
• To assess the curriculum's suitability for training clinicians in brief, evidence-based interventions for behavior change.

Main Methods:

• A two-part, mixed-methods pilot study was conducted in a family medicine residency clinic.
• Study 1 involved expert faculty (N=11) evaluating patient handouts.
• Study 2 included qualitative interviews with residents (N=20) and patients (N=20) regarding curriculum materials.

Main Results:

• Experts found patient handouts highly understandable and actionable.
• Residents reported the curriculum provided concrete tools, structured discussions, and increased confidence.
• Patients felt empowered to make behavior changes.

Conclusions:

• The "Change that Matters" curriculum is acceptable to experts, residents, and patients.
• This free, downloadable curriculum addresses a critical need for resources in clinician training for behavior change.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the curriculum's impact on clinician and patient behavior.