Evaluating the effects of coaching to improve motivational interviewing skills of dental hygiene students.

PURPOSE: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a style of encouraging and supporting patients in making their own choices in matters concerning their health. MI is emerging in health care as a viable strategy for enhancing a patient's intrinsic motivation to change self care. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effects and level of incorporation of coaching to improve MI adherence of dental hygiene students' patient education presentations as measured by parts of the Motivational Interviewing Integrity Coding System (MITI) and Motivational Interviewing Skills Code (MISC).

METHODS: A convenience sample of second year dental hygiene students from a Midwestern community college were invited to participate in the study. This pilot study utilized a pre- and post-test design to evaluate the effect of coaching to improve MI scores of students. Students were audio taped during 2 brief patient education sessions. Upon completion of the first tape, students received feedback and coaching in MI and then made a second tape of a brief patient education encounter.

RESULTS: Student subjects changed behavior scores in the direction appropriate to MI following coaching on most measures. Summary scores indicate an improvement in the use of open questions, complex reflections and MI adherence, but not in change talk or reflections-to-questions ratio.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of coaching sessions improved the skills of dental hygiene students learning MI-adherent behaviors.