Motivational interviewing (MI) is an empirically supported approach for promoting individual change. Because MI is as much a “way of being” as it is a set of communication skills and strategies, it can serve as a foundation for improving engagement with and effectiveness of other helping methods and approaches. In healthcare and human services:
- MI operationalizes essential elements of client/patient-centered care
- MI is useful at all stages of the helping process:
- establishing trust and openness
- choosing a behavior to address
- strengthening motivation to change
- developing and implementing specific plans for change
- Skill at MI can be objectively evaluated using validated measures
- MI addresses the triple aims of healthcare improvement
- enhancing patient experience
- improving population health
- reducing costs
- MI can also address a fourth aim:
- improving the work life of health care providers, clinicians, and staff, by increasing their ability to engage patients in collaborative, productive conversations about health behavior change
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In what areas has MI been applied?
Motivational interviewing has been applied to a broad range of topics, including:
- Alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use
- Asthma/COPD
- Brain injury
- Cardiovascular health
- Criminal justice
- Dentistry
- Diabetes
- Diet
- Domestic violence
- Eating disorders
- Education
- Emergency department/Trauma/Injury prevention
- Family/Relationships
- Gambling
- Health promotion/Exercise/Fitness
- HIV/AIDS
- Management and supervision
- Medical adherence
- Mental health
- Pain
- Speech/Vocal therapy
- Sports performance
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Who can learn MI?
People who have learned MI include:
- Undergraduate and graduate students
- Postdoctoral fellows and residents
- Paraprofessionals
- Clients, patients, peer counselors
- Medical providers
- Behavioral health workers, case managers, counselors, outreach workers
- Advisors, coaches
- Support staff
- Supervisors, managers, executives
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