Introduction of a Motivational Interviewing Curriculum for Family Medicine Residents

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The literature has shown that Motivational Interviewing (MI) education can be successfully implemented within the residency education environment; however, little research has described how to implement such a curriculum. We propose that residents' MI skills and confidence will increase following participation in an MI curriculum. METHODS: Thirty family medicine residents were invited to participate in an 8-hour MI curriculum. Residents completed pre- and post-course confidence questionnaires and the Helpful Responses Questionnaire (HRQ). Wilcoxin Rank Test was used to assess rank differences between pre- and post-course self-confidence ratings, and paired t tests were used to assess effect sizes of the curriculum on HRQ responses. Study outcomes included residents' self perceived confidence in using MI skills and MI skill performance measured by HRQ scores. RESULTS: Residents demonstrated an increase in confidence ratings after the course (n=21, mean before course: 4.19, 2.1 SD; mean after course: 6.71, SD 1.1). Both reviewers found an improvement in HRQ scores after course completion (Reviewer 1: Mean difference=6.05, 95% CI=2.83-8.26, Reviewer 2: Mean difference 4.19, 95% CI=2.19-6.19). CONCLUSIONS: There was a statistically significant increase in residents' self-confidence ratings, as well as an improvement in MI skills post-intervention, as evidenced by a statistically significant improvement in MI -consistent HRQ scores.