In today’s healthcare landscape, patient activation is essential for improving outcomes. To address this need, a new training curriculum has been developed to bridge the communication gap between clinicians and patients by enhancing the care team’s skills in motivational interviewing (MI).
The importance of this MI curriculum is well explained through development of a recent capstone project. This project is aimed to enhance communication between healthcare professionals and their patients. It is designed for a healthcare organization specializing in insurance and care management. The program focuses on encouraging the target patient population to change their behaviour through effective communication.
Amid the growing prevalence of chronic illnesses and preventable conditions, this initiative aims to reduce unnecessary healthcare utilization and improve patient outcomes by enhancing the interpersonal skills of frontline care providers.
The project addresses the challenge of limited communication skills among care management professionals, including healthcare providers. These roles often require professionals to encourage patients to adopt challenging but necessary lifestyle changes. Limited communication skills make it difficult for providers to influence patient behaviour in a positive and sustainable way.
The curriculum was developed in accordance with the ADDIE instructional design model that consists of 5 components: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. It focused on a broad spectrum of care practitioners such as physicians, mental health professionals, community health workers, service brokers, and any other staff actively involved in the patient’s care journey.
The program can be delivered either in person or remotely using platforms such as Zoom or WebEx, making it accessible even during public health crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It consists of a facilitator’s guide and a participant workbook, which are flexible for live or remote teaching. The evaluation strategy follows the Kirkpatrick Model, which focuses on improvement in knowledge gains, participant reactions, and the observable behavioral modification in the workplace.
The training course is structured around five core lessons, which focus on building blocks of MI techniques like active listening, evoking patient motivation, and SMART goal setting. All participants should provide evidence of better understanding and execution of MI principles like the “Spirit of MI”—empathy, partnership, and respect for patient autonomy.
In the short-term outcomes, one can achieve noticeable progress in defining and implementing the elements of MI in the care management of patients. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers demonstrated enhanced interview skills, especially in asking appropriate questions, affirmations, and actively listening to patients’ needs. Moreover, they acquire the skill of determining if a particular patient is ready to change and guide them toward healthier behaviors.
Mid-term outcomes focus on observing the practical implementation of MI techniques. It is expected that within two months, the professionals should be able to demonstrate key relational aspects of MI like patient-centeredness, collaboration, and nonautocratic communication. Based on their discipline, they will use core MI skills to engage, to focus, to evoke, and to plan to improve care management. Ultimately, there will be a more effective approach to reaching patients and encouraging them to manage their own care.
Long-term outcomes demonstrated an improvement in patient health outcomes, a reduction in the use of precautionary and marginal healthcare services, and increased satisfaction among both patients and practitioners. MI has shown effectiveness in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and substance use disorders.
This MI curriculum addresses a critical gap in healthcare: the gap between services provided and patient participation, commonly referred to as the knowledge-action gap. It presents a timely and well-researched solution to the challenge of clinician-patient engagement. Patients are empowered to become active decision-makers, while clinicians are trained to communicate in a collaborative and respectful manner.
As more practitioners complete the program, healthcare organizations can expect better patient outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, reduced healthcare costs, and stronger patient-practitioner relationships. Program leadership anticipates that the course will not only foster professional growth but also help achieve the broader goal of delivering streamlined and patient-centered healthcare.
References:
Angel DG. Enhancing patient engagement: a motivational interviewing curriculum for health care providers. medtigo J Med. 2025;3(2):e30623213. doi:10.63096/medtigo30623213
