A survey of motivational interviewing training experiences among internal medicine residents

Objective: Assess resident physicians' training experiences and self-reported application of motivational interviewing (MI) skills. Methods: A cross-sectional nationally representative survey of internal medicine and medicine/pediatric residents from October 2021 - May 2022. Residents reported their MI skill training settings: lectures, standardized patients, role plays, group exercises, direct observation of patient encounters, and a full day or more course. Respondents reported frequency of using specific MI skills in the prior six months during behavior change conversations with patients.Results: The response rate 71.2% (202/281). Respondents received MI training in medical school (67.7%), residency (27.2%), both (22.7%), or none (23.5%). Respondents reported MI training through formal lectures/information discussion (77.5%), MI exercises (77.5%), direct observation of a real patient encounter (38.7%), and one or more full-day workshops (8.5%). Most respondents never or only sometimes elicited change talk statements (73.2%), responded to a patient's sustain talk (64.3%), and developed discrepancies in behavior between individuals' current actions and desired behaviors (75%).Conclusions: Significant training gaps exist within resident MI education, which may reduce the application of MI skills. Practical implications: Behavior change is crucial to many aspects of patient health outcomes. This lack of knowledge may impact future physicians' ability to comprehensively care for patients.