Interactive Internet-Based Motivational Interviewing Training for HIV Counseling Support Staff to Improve Health...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• HIV counseling support staff (CSS) are vital for patient outcomes, offering services like testing, linkage to care, and adherence support.
• Effective training in evidence-based interventions, such as motivational interviewing (MI), is crucial for CSS to maximize their impact.
• MI is a communication approach that enhances motivation for behavior change, showing efficacy in various health outcomes, including the HIV Care Continuum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot an interactive internet-based MI training program (iMI4HIV) for HIV CSS.
• To enhance the communication skills of CSS in HIV care interactions.

Main Methods:

• Phase 1 involves focus groups with CSS and agency leaders, development of MI demonstration videos, and programming of the iMI4HIV platform, including gamification.
• A pilot virtual MI workshop followed by iMI4HIV training will be conducted with 8 CSS.
• Phase 2 is a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) randomizing 30 CSS to compare the virtual MI workshop plus iMI4HIV against a waitlist control to assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact on MI skills.

Main Results:

• Focus groups and training programming are underway, with a pilot of 8 participants planned for late 2025.
• The phase 2 pilot RCT is scheduled to begin in February 2026, with data collection concluding in October 2026.

Conclusions:

• The pilot study aims to establish the feasibility and acceptability of the iMI4HIV internet-based training for HIV CSS.
• Successful implementation could improve evidence-based intervention delivery in HIV care, potentially enhancing patient outcomes and treatment adherence.
• Further research and larger trials are necessary to validate findings and optimize the training approach.