Motivational Interviewing: A High-Yield Interactive Session for Medical Trainees and Professionals to Help Tobacco Users Quit

INTRODUCTION: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative patient-focused counseling technique that is effective in promoting smoking cessation but is not consistently taught/practiced in training. METHODS: This training session was implemented in a pediatric residency training program and also given four times to pediatric practitioners as part of a 2-day tobacco training sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Pediatric residents (N = 33) participated in a 1-hour interactive session focused on addressing tobacco. Knowledge was assessed with pre- and 6-month postsurveys. Retention of skills was evaluated between 6 and 9 months posttraining by resident performance on two scenarios with standardized patients, which was scored utilizing the Behavior Change Counseling Index (BECCI), by two MI-trained physicians. AAP trainees (N = 115) participated in tobacco trainings with a session dedicated to MI; sessions were evaluated by pre- and posttests. RESULTS: Residents who completed the session (n = 12) performed significantly better on eight of 10 items of the BECCI and on the overall BECCI score (p < .001) compared with those who had not completed the session (n = 12). Feedback on AAP training sessions (N = 115) indicated that practitioners felt able to perform MI and incorporate MI into practice. The percentage of trainees who felt comfortable counseling about tobacco doubled from pre- to posttraining. DISCUSSION: A hands-on MI training session provided pediatric residents and practicing clinicians with knowledge and skills to address tobacco use with patients/families. The session is easily incorporated into different training environments.