Interface Between Motivational Interviewing and Burnout.

Background: The contemporary challenges of improving patient engagement in chronic disease management and addressing the growing problem of physician burnout are commonly viewed as separate issues. However, there is extensive evidence that person-centered approaches to patient engagement, such as motivational interviewing (MI), are associated both with better outcomes for patients and improved well-being for clinicians. Methods: We conducted an exploratory survey study to ascertain whether resident physicians who perceive that they embrace and utilize the MI approach also report less burnout. A total of 318 residents in several specialties were invited via email to complete a 10-question survey about patient engagement and the experience of burnout. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for all categorical/ordinal variables to describe survey participants and question responses. Correlation coefficients were obtained to assess relationships between all burnout and engagement questions. Results: A total of 79 residents completed the survey (response rate of 24.8%). There was broad agreement about the importance of patient engagement and the use of the MI approach, and approximately 60% of residents indicated that burnout was a problem. Two items related to residents' perceived use of MI were correlated with feeling a sense of personal accomplishment, one of the protective factors against burnout. Conclusion: Consistent with other studies indicating that person-centered approaches are associated both with better patient outcomes and provider wellbeing, our data suggest that residents' self-reported use of the MI approach in patient care may be related to less burnout. It appears that training in the MI approach in graduate medical education may be simultaneously good for patient outcomes and good for resident well-being.

Teaching resident physicians how to take care of their own health, and how to help patients take more responsibility for their health, are typically viewed as two separate challenges. However, studies have shown that patient-centered approaches have benefits both for patient health and clinician health. In our survey of resident physicians, we found that those who say they use motivational interviewing, a patient-centered approach, also report less burnout. This means that teaching resident physicians an effective way to interact with patients is also good for the trainees' health.

Motivational interviewing skills practice enhanced with artificial intelligence: ReadMI.

BACKGROUND: Finding time in the medical curriculum to focus on motivational interviewing (MI) training is a challenge in many medical schools. We developed a software-based training tool, "Real-time Assessment of Dialogue in Motivational Interviewing" (ReadMI), that aims to advance the skill acquisition of medical students as they learn the MI approach. This human-artificial intelligence teaming may help reduce the cognitive load on a training facilitator. METHODS: During their Family Medicine clerkship, 125 third-year medical students were scheduled in pairs to participate in a 90-minute MI training session, with each student doing two role-plays as the physician. Intervention group students received both facilitator feedback and ReadMI metrics after their first role-play, while control group students received only facilitator feedback. RESULTS: While students in both conditions improved their MI approach from the first to the second role-play, those in the intervention condition used significantly more open-ended questions, fewer closed-ended questions, and had a higher ratio of open to closed questions. CONCLUSION: MI skills practice can be gained with a relatively small investment of student time, and artificial intelligence can be utilized both for the measurement of MI skill acquisition and as an instructional aid.

Differences in internalized HIV stigma across subpopulations of people with HIV in care across the United States.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined which subgroups of people with HIV (PWH) carry the greatest burden of internalized HIV stigma (IHS), which may be important to care provision and interventions. METHODS: PWH in the CFAR Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) longitudinal, US-based, multisite, clinical care cohort completed tablet-based assessments during clinic visits including a four-item, Likert scale (low 1-5 high), IHS instrument. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and IHS scores were assessed in adjusted linear regression models. RESULTS: Twelve thousand six hundred and fifty-six PWH completed the IHS assessment at least once from February 2016 to November 2022, providing 28 559 IHS assessments. At baseline IHS assessment, the mean age was 49 years, 41% reported White, 38% Black/African American, and 16% Latine race/ethnicity, and 80% were cisgender men. The mean IHS score was 2.04, with all subgroups represented among those endorsing IHS. In regression analyses, younger PWH and those in care fewer years had higher IHS scores. In addition, cisgender women vs. cisgender men, PWH residing in the West vs. the Southeast, and those with sexual identities other than gay/lesbian had higher IHS scores. Compared with White-identifying PWH, those who identified with Black/African American or Latine race/ethnicity had lower IHS scores. Age stratification revealed patterns related to age category, including specific age-related differences by gender, geographic region and race/ethnicity. DISCUSSION: IHS is prevalent among PWH, with differential burden by subgroups of PWH. These findings highlight the benefits of routine screening for IHS and suggest the need for targeting/tailoring interventions to reduce IHS among PWH.

A Refined Teach-back Observation Tool: Validity Evidence in a Pediatric Setting.

BACKGROUND: Teach Back (TB) is recommended to assess and ensure patient understanding, thereby promoting safety, quality, and equity. There are many TB trainings, typically lacking assessment tools with validity evidence. We used a pediatric resident competency-based communication curriculum to develop initial validity evidence and refinement recommendations for a Teach-back Observation Tool (T-BOT). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop initial validity evidence for a refined T-BOT and provide guidance for further enhancements to improve essential TB skills training among pediatric residents. METHODS: After an interactive health literacy (HL) training, residents participated in recorded standardized patient (SP) encounters. Raters developed T-BOT scoring criteria, then scored a gold standard TB video and resident SP encounters. For agreement, Fleiss' Kappa was computed for >2 raters, and Cohen's Kappa for two raters. Percent agreement and intraclass correlation (ICC) were calculated. Statistics were calculated for gold standard (GS) and TB items overall for all six raters, and for five faculty raters. Agreement was based on Kappa: no agreement (≤0), none to slight (0.01-0.20), fair (0.21-0.40), moderate (0.41-0.60), substantial (0.61-0.80), almost perfect (0.81-1.00). KEY RESULTS: For six raters, Kappa for the GS was 0.554 (moderate agreement) with 71.4% agreement; ICC = .597; for SP encounters, it was 0.637 (substantial) with 65.4% agreement; ICC = .647. Individual item agreement for SP encounters average was 0.605 (moderate), ranging from 0.142 (slight) to 1 (perfect). For five faculty raters, Kappa for the GS was 0.779 (substantial) with 85.7% agreement; ICC = .824; for resident SP encounters, it was 0.751 (substantial), with 76.9% agreement; ICC = .759. Individual item agreement on SP encounters average was 0.718 (substantial), ranging from 0.156 (slight) to 1 (perfect). CONCLUSION: We provide initial validity evidence for a modified T-BOT and recommendations for improvement. With further refinements to increase validity evidence, accompanied by shared understanding of TB and rating criteria, the T-BOT may be useful in strengthening approaches to teaching and improving essential TB skills among health care team members, thereby increasing organizational HL and improving outcomes. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2023;7(4):e187-e196.].

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: We provide initial validity evidence for a refined T-BOT and recommendations for further enhancements to improve essential TB skills among pediatric residents. With attention to a shared understanding of TB and rating criteria, this tool may be used to improve HL training, thereby increasing organizational HL and improving outcomes.

Implantable arterial doppler efficacy in free flap reconstruction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The implantable arterial doppler (IAD) is frequently used to postoperatively monitor free flaps with high accuracy, but there are no guidelines for its use. Bedside exam is used adjunctively to determine necessary intervention. This systematic review seeks to discover why the doppler is used adjunctively despite its established record of accuracy. Criteria for inclusion and exclusion were established. In total, 280 articles were found on PubMed and Web of Science, then screened accordingly. Data from 22 articles were analyzed using a bivariate hierarchical random effects model. Twenty-two studies yielded 2996 total patients undergoing 3127 free flap procedures. The meta-analysis found a high sensitivity of 0.809 (95% CI = 0.709, 0.880) and specificity of 0.966 (95% CI = 0.947, 0.979). False-positive rate was found to be 0.034 (95% CI = 0.021, 0.053). Positive and negative predictive values were 0.711 (95% CI = 0.581, 0.817) and 0.979 (95% CI = 0.966, 0.988). Positive and negative likelihood ratios were 24.7 (95% CI = 14.5, 39.5) and 0.20 (95% CI = 0.12, 0.30). The established efficacy of the IAD is supported by this study. Clinical exams may remain as the final adjunct due to the risks of inaccurate IAD signals. Further studies are warranted to optimize its use for future practice guidelines.

PRESTO: Promoting Engagement for the Safe Tapering of Opioids.

ABSTRACT: Twenty-four percent of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. Changing prescribing practices is considered a key step in reducing opioid overdoses. Primary care providers (PCPs) commonly lack the patient engagement skills needed to address patient resistance to taper or end opioid prescriptions. We developed and evaluated a protocol aimed at improving PCP opioid-prescribing patterns and modeled on the evidence-based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) approach. We conducted a time series trial comparing provider opioid prescribing 8 months before and 8 months after training with the PRomoting Engagement for Safe Tapering of Opioids (PRESTO) protocol. The 148 Ohio PCPs who completed PRESTO training gained confidence in their ability to engage their patients on the topics of opioid overdose risk and potential opioid tapering. Promoting Engagement for Safe Tapering of Opioids participants had decreased opioid-prescribing over time, but this was not significantly different from Ohio PCPs who had not received PRESTO training. Participants completing PRESTO training had small, but significant increased buprenorphine prescribing over time compared with Ohio PCPs who had not received PRESTO training. The PRESTO approach and opioid risk pyramid warrant further study and validation.

The Psychometric Properties of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref Questionnaire in College Students.

Background and purpose: Because there are conflicting perspectives on the factor structure of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Questionnaire among college students, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the instrument in a sample of US college students. Methods: We conducted secondary analysis of data collected from 1,138 undergraduate students from a large metropolitan university in the southeastern United States. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original four-factor structure. Based on exploratory factor analysis, three factors were retained and rotated using Varimax rotation, which accounted for 96% of the item variance. Cronbach's alphas for the factors were: social/psychological health 0.84; physical health 0.81; and environment 0.77. Sexual minorities had significantly lower scores on all factors than those who identified as heterosexuals. Conclusions: In this sample of college students, the WHOQOL-BREF was three-dimensional, and a significant amount of the item variance was explained. Lower quality of life scores of nonWhites and sexual minority college students point to a critical need that should be addressed.

Perceptions of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic: a small comparative survey analysis between language preference populations in a United States community health center.

In 2019, a new variant of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) created a global pandemic that has highlighted and exacerbated health disparities. Educating the general public about COVID-19 is one of the primary mitigation strategies amongst health professionals. English is not the preferred language for an estimated 22% of the United States population making effective mass communication efforts difficult to achieve. This study seeks to understand and compare several topics surrounding COVID-19 health communication and healthcare disparities between individuals with English language preference (ELP) and non-English language preference (NELP) within the United States. A survey available in seven languages asking about knowledge and opinions on COVID-19, vaccines, preferred sources of health information, and other questions, was administered February-April 2021 to patients at an urban federally qualified health center that also serves global refugees and immigrants. Descriptive statistics and comparative analysis were performed to identify differences between ELP and NELP individuals. Analysis of 144 surveys, 33 of which were NELP, showed 90.97% of all patients agreed that COVID-19 was a serious disease and 66.67% would receive the COVID-19 vaccine. There were numerous differences between ELP and NELP individuals, including trust in government, symptom identification, preferred source of health information, and feelings that cultural needs had been met. This study has identified several significant differences in patient perceptions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic when comparing NELP to ELP and highlighted areas where improvement can occur. Applying this information, easily utilized targeted resources can be created to quickly intervene and address health disparities among patients seeking care at an urban community health center.

Patient-Identified Markers of Quality Care: Improving HIV Service Delivery for Older African Americans.

BACKGROUND: Over 50% of new AIDS/HIV diagnoses are older adults and disproportionately African American people. Longstanding health inequities, driven by the enduring nature of systemic racism, pose challenges to obtaining optimal HIV services. Patient experiences and identities shape the health care experience, yet patient voices are often minimized, including their assessment of quality HIV care. Understanding these markers of care, including facilitators of and barriers to care and engagement, may help enhance the patient voice, potentially improving service delivery and eradicating HIV healthcare disparities. METHOD: Using a convergent mixed method design, our study identifies patient-identified markers of quality care among older African Americans (N = 35). Measurements of global stress, HIV stigma, and engagement in care were collected, and in-depth qualitative interviews explored the symbols of quality care as well as facilitators of and barriers to care. RESULTS: We identified widespread participant awareness and recognition of quality care, the detection of facilitators and barriers across individual, clinic, and community levels. Facilitators of care include diet, health, relationships, community support, and compassionate HIV care. Barriers to care include health comorbidities, economic, food, and housing insecurity, lack of transportation, and structural racism. CONCLUSION: Our findings illuminate how the prominence of barriers to care often uproot facilitators of care, creating impediments to HIV service delivery as patients transition through the HIV care continuum. We offer implications for practice and policy, as well as recommendations for reducing structural barriers to care by enhancing the patient voice and for aligning services toward compassionate and inclusive care.

Perception versus Reality: A Review of Narcotic Prescribing Habits After Common Laparoscopic Surgeries.

INTRODUCTION: Data on how surgeons perceive their habits of prescribing narcotics compared to their actual practice are scarce. This study examines the perception and actual narcotic prescribing habits of surgeons and advanced practitioners. METHODS: Surgical residents, attendings, and advanced practice providers (APPs) were surveyed to assess their perceived prescribing habits at discharge for laparoscopic appendectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Data on narcotics prescription for patients receiving either of the procedures from January 2017 to August 2020 were extracted from electronic health records. Prescribed narcotics were converted to morphine equivalent doses (MEQs) for comparison. RESULTS: Of the 52 participants, the majority were residents (57.7%). Approximately 90% of residents, 72% of attendings, and 18% of APPs reported regularly prescribing narcotics at discharge. Approximately 67% (889/1332) of patients were discharged with narcotics. Of those, the majority of patients' narcotics were prescribed by surgery residents (71.2%). However, 72% of residents, 80% of attendings, and 72% of APPs were confident on prescribing the correct regimen of narcotics. There were no differences in average daily MEQs among the groups. However, the number of narcotics prescribed was higher among APPs compared to that in the other groups (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Most participants self-reported routinely prescribing narcotics at discharge. Although not the current recommendation, participants felt confident they were prescribing the correct regimen, but were observed to prescribe more than the recommended number of total narcotics which indicates a discrepancy between perception and actual habits of prescribing narcotics. Our findings suggest a need for education in the general surgery residency and continuing medical education setting.

Exploring the Impact of Experiences with Everyday and Major Discrimination and HIV-Related Stigma on Engagement in HIV Care Among Older African Americans Living with HIV.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the effect of HIV-related stigma and everyday major experiences of discrimination on medication and clinic visit adherence among older African Americans living with HIV in Ohio. METHODS: We collected data from 53 individuals who were living with HIV in Ohio, ≥ 50 years of age, and who identified as Black or African American. We conducted logistic regression models to examine the impact of HIV-related stigma and experiences of discrimination on medication and visit adherence. Each model controlled for age, time since diagnosis, and sexual orientation. RESULTS: The average age was 53.6 ± 2.1 years and 94.3% were men. Almost half (49.1%) of the participants reported poor medication adherence and almost a third (31.4%) reported poor visit adherence. HIV-related stigma (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-1.89) and major experiences of discrimination (aOR = 1.70; 95% CI = 1.11-2.60) were associated with a greater odds of poor medication adherence. Additionally, major experiences of discrimination were associated with a threefold increase in the odds of poor visit adherence (aOR = 3.24; 95% CI = 1.38-7.64). CONCLUSIONS: HIV-related stigma and major experiences of discrimination impede optimal medication and HIV clinic visit adherence for older African Americans living with HIV. To reduce the impact of stigma and discrimination on HIV care engagement, our first step must be in understanding how intersecting forms of stigma and discrimination impact engagement among older African Americans living with HIV.

An Interactive Game with Virtual Reality Immersion to Improve Cultural Sensitivity in Health Care.

Purpose: Biased perceptions of individuals who are not part of one's in-groups tend to be negative and habitual. Because health care professionals are no less susceptible to biases than are others, the adverse impact of biases on marginalized populations in health care warrants continued attention and amelioration. Method: Two characters, a Syrian refugee with limited English proficiency and a black pregnant woman with a history of opioid use disorder, were developed for an online training simulation that includes an interactive life course experience focused on social determinants of health, and a clinical encounter in a community health center utilizing virtual reality immersion. Pre- and post-survey data were obtained from 158 health professionals who completed the simulation. Results: Post-simulation data indicated increased feelings of compassion toward the patient and decreased expectations about how difficult future encounters with the patient would be. With respect to attribution, after the simulation participants were less inclined to view the patient as primarily responsible for their situation, suggesting less impact of the fundamental attribution error. Conclusion: This training simulation aimed to utilize components of evidence-based prejudice habit breaking interventions, such as learning more about an individual's life experience to help minimize filling in gaps with stereotyped assumptions. Although training simulations cannot fully replicate or replace the advantages that come with real-world experience, they can heighten awareness in the increase of increasing the cultural sensitivity of clinicians in health care professions for improving health equity.

Unmasking bias and perception of lead surgeons in the operating room: A simulation based study.

BACKGROUND: Perception of a surgeon based on physical attributes in the operating room (OR) environment has not been assessed, which was our primary goal. METHODS: A common OR scenario was simulated using 8 different actors as a lead surgeon with combinations of age (<40 vs. >55), race (white vs. black), and gender (male vs. female). One video scenario with a survey was electronically distributed to surgeons, residents, and OR nurses/staff. The overall rating, assessment, and perception of the lead surgeon were assessed. RESULTS: Of 974 respondents, 64.5% were females. There were significant differences in the rating and assessment based upon surgeon's age (p = .01) favoring older surgeons. There were significant differences in the assessments of surgeons by the study group (p = .03). The positive assessments as well as perceptions trended highest towards male, older, and white surgeons, especially in the stressful situation. CONCLUSION: While perception of gender bias may be widespread, age and race biases may also play a role in the OR. Inter-professional education training for OR teams could be developed to help alleviate such biases.

Cigarette smoking cessation and mental health treatment receipt in a U.S national sample of pregnant women with mental illness.

OBJECTIVES: To (1) compare the probability of cigarette smoking cessation for pregnant women with and without past-year mental illness by the trimester of pregnancy; and (2) examine the association between the receipt of past-year mental health treatment and prenatal cigarette smoking cessation among pregnant lifetime-smokers with mental illness. METHODS: We conducted secondary analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2008-2014. The NSDUH included 2019 pregnant lifetime smokers aged 18-44 years, 528 of whom had a mental illness. We used multiple logistic regression to model the probability of prenatal cigarette smoking cessation. RESULTS: Pregnant lifetime-smokers with mental illness had a lower rate of cigarette smoking cessation than women without mental illness (47.9% vs. 61.7%, p = 0.001). Compared to pregnant women without mental illness, pregnant women with mental illness had a significantly lower odds of smoking cessation in the first trimester (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 0.34, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.18-0.66), but not in the second (AOR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.46-1.63) and third trimesters (AOR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.51-1.72). The likelihood of quitting smoking did not differ significantly for pregnant lifetime-smokers with mental illness who received and did not receive mental health treatment (AOR: 1.69, 95% CI: 0.87-3.28). CONCLUSION: Pregnant lifetime-smokers with mental illness are less likely to quit smoking than those without mental illness; overall, pregnant women tended to quit smoking as they progressed in their pregnancy. The receipt of mental health treatment was not associated with quitting smoking. Mental health care providers need to screen for cigarette use among pregnant women and strengthen smoking cessation efforts. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pregnancy presents a unique opportunity for mental health care providers to screen for cigarette use in women with mental illness and support their smoking cessation efforts.

Exploring the Impacts of Alcohol and Other Drug Use on HIV Care Among Older African American Adults in Kentucky: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study.

ABSTRACT: This grounded theory study examined the use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) on the management of HIV disease among 27 older African Americans (≥50 years). Interview transcripts were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory analytic techniques. Participants reported facing (a) environmental impacts of AOD use and (b) discrimination from the health care system. The analysis revealed six phases of AOD use, occurring at various stages of the HIV care continuum: (a) linking AOD use as the cause of HIV diagnosis, (b) having AOD use facilitate denial of HIV, (c) experiencing problematic use as a barrier to care engagement, (d) "testing the waters," (e) relying on AIDS service organizations and medical providers, and (f) changing or maintaining patterns of AOD use to maintain engagement with care. Recommendations include assessing a patient's AOD use in relationship to the care continuum to evaluate patients' experiences and barriers within systems of care.

"The Heart is a House": A Heuristic for Generating Cardiac Differential Diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: Differential diagnosis (DDx) is a core clinical reasoning skill that all medical students and physicians must acquire and develop. Metamemory techniques (MMTs), including mnemonic devices and other heuristics, are frequently taught to students as a means of enhancing DDx generation. The Heart is A House (HIAH), an MMT that works by prompting students to think about cardiac disease in terms of four structural subsystems, can be used to facilitate the generation of cardiac differentials, but its efficacy has not been studied. METHODS: In a 3-hour DDx workshop, second-year medical students were given a brief case vignette of a patient with chest pain and dyspnea and asked to generate initial differential diagnoses before and after learning HIAH. Descriptive statistics and paired T-tests were used to compare the sizes of cardiac-only and total differentials pre-/post-HIAH. Cardiac diagnoses were classified according to the structural categories described by HIAH, and Simpson's Diversity Index (SDI) was used to evaluate the effect of HIAH on the variety of cardiac diagnoses produced. RESULTS: All students in the course (N = 111) submitted pre-post differential lists. The mean number of diagnoses included in their differentials did not change significantly after exposure to HIAH (7.98 vs. 8.71, P = .09). However, the number of potentially correct cardiac diagnoses increased from 1.79 to 4.75 (P < .0001), and the variety of structure/function cardiac categories considered by students increased more than twofold (from an SDI of 0.16 to 0.4, P < .0001). These increases were accompanied by a small increase in incorrect diagnoses ( + 2.47%, P = .0003) and a larger decrease in potentially correct noncardiac diagnoses (-41.88%, P < .0001). CONCLUSION: The use of HIAH was associated with an increase in the size and variety of cardiac differentials. This increase may have come at the cost of a reduced noncardiac differential. Educators may find HIAH useful for guiding students as they reason through cases involving potential cardiac etiologies. As with all heuristics, care must be exercised to avoid introducing unwanted bias.

Laboratory markers predictive of fulminant Clostridioides difficile infection refractory to fluid resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: Old age, leucocytosis, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated creatinine have been identified as risk factors for fulminant Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). High ATLAS scores have also been linked to fatal disease. The affiliated studies, however, involved patients prescribed metronidazole - a regimen no longer standard of care. The variables were thus reassessed in patients prescribed optimal therapy. METHODS: Adults hospitalized with CDI at University of Kentucky Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. Enrolled subjects were separated according to disease classification i.e. non-severe/severe versus fulminant CDI. Fulminant patients were further subdivided into hypotensive persons responsive to fluid resuscitation, and those with sequent shock, ileus, or megacolon. Following partition, the cohorts underwent correlation analysis. FINDINGS: Forty-five subjects had non-severe/severe disease. Thirteen fulminant CDI patients responded to fluid resuscitation. Seventeen fulminant CDI patients developed shock, ileus, or megacolon. Median WBC counts, albumin values, and ATLAS scores varied among the cohorts. Although WBC counts were similar among the fulminant subsets, declining albumin values and increasing ATLAS scores mirrored disease worsening. Logistic regression revealed albumin values < 20 g/L (odds ratio [OR] 3.91) and ATLAS scores ≥ 6 (OR 5.03) to predict critical illness in hypotensive persons. CONCLUSION: Median WBC counts, albumin values, and ATLAS scores differed in patients separated by CDI severity. A notable variance in albumin values and ATLAS scores between fluid responsive fulminant disease and critical illness was moreover seen. The finding suggests hypoalbuminemia and high ATLAS scores in hypotensive CDI patients may herald shock, ileus, or megacolon.

Advancing Motivational Interviewing Training with Artificial Intelligence: ReadMI.

BACKGROUND: Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based, brief interventional approach that has been demonstrated to be highly effective in triggering change in high-risk lifestyle behaviors. MI tends to be underutilized in clinical settings, in part because of limited and ineffective training. To implement MI more widely, there is a critical need to improve the MI training process in a manner that can provide prompt and efficient feedback. Our team has developed and tested a training tool, Real-time Assessment of Dialogue in Motivational Interviewing (ReadMI), that uses natural language processing (NLP) to provide immediate MI metrics and thereby address the need for more effective MI training. METHODS: Metrics produced by the ReadMI tool from transcripts of 48 interviews conducted by medical residents with a simulated patient were examined to identify relationships between physician-speaking time and other MI metrics, including the number of open- and closed-ended questions. In addition, interrater reliability statistics were conducted to determine the accuracy of the ReadMI's analysis of physician responses. RESULTS: The more time the physician spent talking, the less likely the physician was engaging in MI-consistent interview behaviors (r = -0.403, p = 0.007), including open-ended questions, reflective statements, or use of a change ruler. CONCLUSION: ReadMI produces specific metrics that a trainer can share with a student, resident, or clinician for immediate feedback. Given the time constraints on targeted skill development in health professions training, ReadMI decreases the need to rely on subjective feedback and/or more time-consuming video review to illustrate important teaching points.

Promoting Motivational Interviewing in Primary Care: More Than Intention.

INTRODUCTION: Interacting with patients in a manner that furthers self-responsibility for health is an important skill for primary care clinicians. Motivational interviewing (MI) is such an approach to patient engagement, but it remains to be more widely implemented. In a program training health professionals and health professions students in MI, we examined posttraining attitudes and intentions regarding the utilization of MI. Of particular interest was how posttraining intentions were associated with self-reported action 1 month later. METHODS: We obtained immediate posttraining and 30-day follow-up data from 209 participants regarding intent to utilize the MI approach (self-reported implementation at the follow-up interval), impact on confidence with patient interaction, and perceived importance of the training. We analyzied frequencies and percentages for all categorical/ordinal variables to describe the participants and the survey question responses. RESULTS: While 91.5% of participants intended to incorporate MI into their approach with patients (to a moderate or great extent) at posttraining, only 48.7% reported that they had actually implemented the MI approach (to a moderate or great extent) 30 days later. However, another 32.1% indicated that they had occasionally utilized MI. Attitudes toward the importance of MI training and the impact of training on confidence remained strong over the 30 days. CONCLUSION: Achieving more widespread implementation of the MI approach in the primary care setting is likely to be less dependent on convincing clinicians about its importance for patient engagement, but rather on the translation of intent to actual practice and implementation.