Motivational Interview In Healthcare

Knowing the importance of motivational interviewing as well as application methods and potential benefits in healthcare are important tools in promoting good life changes. A motivational interview is a useful strategy when the goal is to get rid of behaviors that are harmful to health.

This article in RET mentions how a motivating interview method is important to bring about behavior change. This is because it facilitates interpersonal relationships and helps solve problem situations.

Motivational interview in health care

This is a strategy or tool to encourage and promote change in harmful practices. 

It is a particularly important tool for professionals working with young people, as many of their health problems are often related to their behavior.

Contrary to what we might assume, some studies, such as this 2017 study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, reveal that it is more effective for those who are not motivated to change than for those who have already decided to make change.

Much has been written recently about strategies aimed at changing behavioral patterns. Note that the use of incentives is one of these suggestions.

Is it a strategy or a communication style?

Motivational interviewing in health care is often defined as an evidence-based approach to changing behaviors. According to a report published in Gaceta Medica, “those who opted for a motivational interview achieved greater benefits than those who continued with regular counseling.” However, definitions vary widely, including outdated as well as inaccurate interpretations.

What is a motivational interview?

According to a study by Miller and Rollnick in their book Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change:

Thus, the characteristics of a motivational interview according to these same professionals are:

• A guiding communication style that takes into account the importance of good listening, information, and recommendations.
• It should allow people to change certain patterns of behavior and become more flexible. This strategy is also based on a respectful way of communicating that facilitates natural processes of change as well as the development of autonomy.
• Moreover, it reflects the existence of a certain ambivalence in the possibility of making a change which, although favorable in the medium term, people do not always see that the goal is achievable.

Some remarks related to the motivational interview

It is important for the professional who implements it to develop open-ended questions. One that they could also ask during a job interview, for example. This in turn should make it possible to explore people’s experiences, perspectives and ideas.

At the same time, reflection is based on listening and trying to understand what the person is saying. You can achieve this goal by repeating, reformulating a sentence, or providing more in-depth information on a topic. The latter point is the basic skill of a motivational interview; especially how we express empathy, which is a really relevant ingredient.

Motivational interview in connection with health care

It is essential to understand the meaning, scope, logic, and method of a motivational interview. Every professional dealing with young people needs to identify whether this is the only or the best option.

Finally, it is important to mention that those who choose to apply this practice or wish to implement it base their activities on reliable sources. Like the ones we’ve mentioned in this article.