Shifting the Focus Using Remote Training on Shared Decision-Making and Motivational Interviewing: A Quantitative...

Area of Science:

• Oral health
• Medical education
• Behavioral science

Background:

• Effective dentist-patient communication is crucial for behavior change.
• Shared decision-making (SDM) and motivational interviewing (MI) are key communication strategies.
• Remote training presents a scalable solution for disseminating these skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of remote training in SDM and MI for dentists.
• To compare pre- and post-intervention findings on dentists' use and confidence in SDM/MI.
• To assess the impact of training on fostering patient-centered care.

Main Methods:

• Remote objective structured clinical exercise training sessions were conducted.
• Three interprofessional care scenarios were developed focusing on social determinants of health, HPV vaccination, and adolescent health.
• Dentists participated in simulated patient interactions.
• Welch t-test was used to analyze pre- and post-intervention survey data on importance and confidence.

Main Results:

• 37% of dentists responded to both pre- and post-intervention surveys.
• Dentists reported greater use and perceived usefulness of MI after training.
• Dentists showed increased confidence in applying SDM and MI techniques post-intervention (mean difference [95% CI] = 1.12 [-0.16, 2.41]).

Conclusions:

• Remote, participatory training can effectively enhance dentists' SDM and MI skills.
• Training shifts focus from provider authority to patient-centered behavior change.
• These communication strategies empower patients as active participants in their oral health.