BACKGROUND: Educating medical students about how to effectively counsel patients with negative health behaviors (i.e., lack of exercise, smoking) is vitally important. Behavior change counseling is a promising method that can be used by physicians to encourage positive changes in health behaviors. PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of a 2 h workshop in behavior change counseling for medical students. METHODS: This study used a pre-post control group design with 35 second-year medical students who were randomly assigned to participate in a behavior change counseling intervention or wait-list control group. Student knowledge and attitudes were assessed using multiple choice items and open-ended question prompts. Student skills were assessed via performance in a standardized patient encounter rated using the Behavior Change Counseling Index (BECCI). RESULTS: Student attitudes toward behavior change counseling were positive at both pre- and post-test assessment in both groups. Knowledge scores and BECCI total scores showed significantly greater improvement in the intervention group compared to the wait-list control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that a brief educational intervention had a positive impact on medical students' knowledge and skills in behavior change counseling, and that student attitudes about the counseling method were very positive.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Educating medical students about how to effectively counsel patients with negative health behaviors (i.e., lack of exercise, smoking) is vitally important. Behavior change counseling is a promising method that can be used by physicians to encourage positive changes in health behaviors. PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of a 2 h workshop in behavior change counseling for medical students. METHODS: This study used a pre-post control group design with 35 second-year medical students who were randomly assigned to participate in a behavior change counseling intervention or wait-list control group. Student knowledge and attitudes were assessed using multiple choice items and open-ended question prompts. Student skills were assessed via performance in a standardized patient encounter rated using the Behavior Change Counseling Index (BECCI). RESULTS: Student attitudes toward behavior change counseling were positive at both pre- and post-test assessment in both groups. Knowledge scores and BECCI total scores showed significantly greater improvement in the intervention group compared to the wait-list control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that a brief educational intervention had a positive impact on medical students' knowledge and skills in behavior change counseling, and that student attitudes about the counseling method were very positive.
Authors: Rebecca Widder-Prewett; Juanita A Draime; Ginger Cameron; Douglas Anderson; Mark Pinkerton; Aleda M H Chen Journal: Am J Pharm Educ Date: 2017-08 Impact factor: 2.047
Authors: Patricia A Carney; Ryan T Palmer; Marissa Fuqua Miller; Erin K Thayer; Sue E Estroff; Debra K Litzelman; Frances E Biagioli; Cayla R Teal; Ann Lambros; William J Hatt; Jason M Satterfield Journal: Acad Med Date: 2016-05 Impact factor: 6.893
Authors: Conor Gilligan; Martine Powell; Marita C Lynagh; Bernadette M Ward; Chris Lonsdale; Pam Harvey; Erica L James; Dominique Rich; Sari P Dewi; Smriti Nepal; Hayley A Croft; Jonathan Silverman Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2021-02-08