Assessing Physician's Motivational Communication Skills: 5-Step Mixed Methods Development Study of the Motivational Communication Competency Assessment Test.

BACKGROUND: Training physicians to provide effective behavior change counseling using approaches such as motivational communication (MC) is an important aspect of noncommunicable chronic disease prevention and management. However, existing evaluation tools for MC skills are complex, invasive, time consuming, and impractical for use within the medical context. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to develop and validate a short web-based tool for evaluating health care provider (HCP) skills in MC-the Motivational Communication Competency Assessment Test (MC-CAT). METHODS: Between 2016 and 2021, starting with a set of 11 previously identified core MC competencies and using a 5-step, mixed methods, integrated knowledge translation approach, the MC-CAT was created by developing a series of 4 base cases and a scoring scheme, validating the base cases and scoring scheme with international experts, creating 3 alternative versions of the 4 base cases (to create a bank of 16 cases, 4 of each type of base case) and translating the cases into French, integrating the cases into the web-based MC-CAT platform, and conducting initial internal validity assessments with university health students. RESULTS: The MC-CAT assesses MC competency in 20 minutes by presenting HCPs with 4 out of a possible 16 cases (randomly selected and ordered) addressing various behavioral targets (eg, smoking, physical activity, diet, and medication adherence). Individual and global competency scores were calculated automatically for the 11 competency items across the 4 cases, providing automatic scores out of 100. From the factorial analysis of variance for the difference in competency and ranking scores, no significant differences were identified between the different case versions across individual and global competency (P=.26 to P=.97) and ranking scores (P=.24 to P=.89). The initial tests of internal consistency for rank order among the 24 student participants were in the acceptable range (α=.78). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that MC-CAT is an internally valid tool to facilitate the evaluation of MC competencies among HCPs and is ready to undergo comprehensive psychometric property analyses with a national sample of health care providers. Once psychometric property assessments have been completed, this tool is expected to facilitate the assessment of MC skills among HCPs, skills that will better support patients in adopting healthier lifestyles, which will significantly reduce the personal, social, and economic burdens of noncommunicable chronic diseases.

Training Physicians in Motivational Communication to Address Influenza Vaccine Hesitation: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

BACKGROUND: Strategies to support health care professionals on how to address vaccine hesitancy are needed. METHODS: We developed a 4-h Motivational Communication (MC) training program tailored to help physicians address hesitancy related to influenza vaccination among patients living with rheumatoid arthritis. Five MC competencies were evaluated at baseline and post-training with a standardized patient using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity [MITI] scale. Adherence to MC during clinical consultations and changes in vaccine intentions was measured as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Seven rheumatology physicians participated in the training. MITI scores increased in all participants, and 71% (n = 5) achieved thresholds of clinical competency (i.e., ≥3.5/5 at MITI global score and ≥3/5 on at least 3 individual competency score) post-training. Autonomy/support and empathy competencies reached competency thresholds (+2.4 ± 1.3 to +4.1 ± 0.7 and +2.1 ± 0.7 to +4.1 ± 0.7, respectively). Evocation and collaboration competencies improved but without reaching competency thresholds (+1.4 ± 0.8 to +3.1 ± 1.1; +1.4 ± 0.8 to +2.9 ± 1.1, respectively). Direction did not improve. Among 21 patient consultations post-training, 15 (71%) were MC-consistent. Of the 15 patients, 67% (10/15) intended to receive the influenza vaccine and 33% (5/15) received it. CONCLUSION: A brief MC training program targeting vaccine hesitancy increased MC competency among rheumatology physicians and promoted behavioral change among patients.

Behavioral weight management interventions in metabolic and bariatric surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating optimal delivery timing.

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) yields unprecedented clinical outcomes, though variability is high in weight change and health benefits. Behavioral weight management (BWM) interventions may optimize MBS outcomes. However, there is a lack of an evidence base to inform their use in practice, particularly regarding optimal delivery timing. This paper evaluated the efficacy of BWM conducted pre- versus post- versus pre- and post-MBS. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and included pre- and/or post-operative BWM interventions in adults reporting anthropometric and/or body composition data. Thirty-six studies (2,919 participants) were included. Post-operative BWM yielded greater decreases in weight (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.766 to -0.049, p < 0.05; I2 = 93.5%) and body mass index (SMD = -0.60; 95% CI: -0.913 to -0.289, p < 0.001; I2 = 87.8%) relative to comparators. There was no effect of BWM delivered pre- or joint pre- and post-operatively. The risk of selection and performance bias was generally high. Delivering BWM after MBS appears to confer the most benefits on weight, though there was high variability in study characteristics and risk of bias across trials. This provides insight into the type of support that should be considered post-operatively.

An international Delphi consensus study to define motivational communication in the context of developing a training program for physicians.

Poor health behaviors (e.g., smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity) are major risk factors for noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Evidence supporting traditional advice-giving approaches to promote behavior change is weak or short lived. Training physicians to improve their behavior change counseling/communication skills is important, yet the evidence for the efficacy and acceptability of existing training programs is lacking and there is little consensus on the core competencies that physicians should master in the context of NCD management. The purpose of this study is to generate an acceptable, evidence-based, stakeholder-informed list of the core communication competencies that physicians should master in the context of NCD management. Using a modified Delphi process for consensus achievement, international behavior change experts, physicians, and allied health care professionals completed four phases of research, including eight rounds of online surveys and in-person meetings over 2 years (n = 13-17 participated in Phases I, III, and IV and n = 39-46 in Phase II). Eleven core communication competencies were identified: reflective listening, expressing empathy, demonstrating acceptance, tolerance, and respect, responding to resistance, (not) negatively judging or blaming, (not) expressing hostility or impatience, eliciting "change-talk"/evocation, (not) being argumentative or confrontational, setting goals, being collaborative, and providing information neutrally. These competencies were used to define a unified approach for conducting behavior change counseling in medical settings: Motivational Communication. The results may be used to inform and standardize physician training in behavior change counseling and communication skills to reduce morbidity and mortality related to poor health behaviors in the context of NCD prevention and management.

Evaluation of Communication Skills Among Physicians: A Systematic Review of Existing Assessment Tools.

OBJECTIVE: The importance of physician training in communication skills for motivating patients to adopt a healthy life-style and optimize clinical outcomes is increasingly recognized. This study inventoried and systematically reviewed the psychometric properties of, and the skills assessed by, existing assessment tools used to evaluate communication skills among physicians. METHODS: This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42018091932). Four databases (PUBMED, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and SCOPUS) were searched up to December 2018, generating 3902 unique articles, which were screened by two authors. A total of 57 articles met the inclusion criteria and underwent full data extraction. RESULTS: Forty-five different assessment tools were identified. Only 47% of the studies mentioned underlying theories or models for designing the tool. Fifteen communication skills were assessed across the tools, the five most prevalent were information giving (46%) or gathering (40%), eliciting patients' perspectives (44%), planning/goal setting (37%), and closing the session (32%). Most tools (93%) assessed communication skills using in-person role play exercises with standardized (61%) or real (32%) patients, but only 54% described the expertise of the raters who performed the evaluations. Overall, reporting of the psychometric properties of the assessment tools was poor-moderate (4.5 ± 1.3 out of 9). CONCLUSIONS: Despite identifying several existing physician communication assessment tools, a high degree of heterogeneity between these tools, in terms of skills assessed and study quality, was observed, and most have been poorly validated. Research is needed to rigorously develop and validate accessible, convenient, "user-friendly," and easy to administer and score communication assessment tools.

Training physicians in behavioural change counseling: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Poor health behaviours (e.g., smoking, physical inactivity) represent major underlying causes of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Prescriptive behaviour change interventions employed by physicians show limited effectiveness. Physician training in evidence-based behaviour change counselling (BCC) may improve behavioural risk factor management, but the efficacy and feasibility of current programs remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: (1) To systematically review the efficacy of BCC training programs for physicians, and (2) to describe program content, dose and structure, informing better design and dissemination. METHODS: Using PRISMA guidelines, a database search up to January 2018, yielded 1889 unique articles, screened by 2 authors; 9 studies met inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. RESULTS: 100% of studies reported significant improvements in BCC skills among physicians, most programs targeting provider-patient collaboration, supporting patient autonomy, and use of open questions to elicit "change-talk". Limitation included: poor reporting quality, high program heterogeneity, small sample sizes, 78% of studies having no comparison group, and less than 30% of skills taught being formally assessed. CONCLUSION: Training programs were efficacious, but methodological weaknesses limit the ability to determine content and delivery. Caution is necessary when interpreting the results. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Further research emphasizing rigorous training program development and testing is warranted.

Three-year stability of cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system responses to psychological stress.

Chronically heightened physiological reactivity to or delayed recovery from stress may contribute to cardiovascular (CV) risk and mortality. Long-term stability of physiological stress responses has received little attention. Our objectives were to evaluate the 3-year stability of reactivity and recovery change scores across CV and autonomic parameters and assess whether sex and age moderate stability. A total of 134 healthy participants underwent two laboratory stress protocols, including four 5-min interpersonal stressors, each followed by a 5-min recovery period. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and HR variability (high frequency, low frequency, very low frequency [VLF]) were obtained. Spearman rank correlations and linear regressions were performed. Significant correlations emerged for all physiological measures except diastolic BP and VLF recovery. No significant sex or age differences were found. Stress responses represent stable individual traits little affected by sex or age.