Randomized, Controlled Evaluation of a Virtual Human Patient for Provider Training in Motivational Interviewing

NCT ID: NCT04558060

Last Updated: 2020-09-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 126 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2016-10-17
• Study Completion Date: 2019-08-12

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of training with a virtual standardized patient on the acquisition and maintenance of motivational interviewing skills compared with traditional academic study.

Detailed Description

Motivational interviewing is an evidence-based counseling approach that aims to increase a patient's motivation to make positive health changes in their lives. A common training method for medical professionals is the use of human standardized patients, who are actors who pretend to be patients for educational interviews. Standardized patients are expensive and it is challenging to maintain an adequate pool of patient actors. Accordingly, after licensure or medical boards, health professionals typically adopt new evidence-based practices, like motivational interviewing, without human standardized patient training experiences. Given the established importance of post-training coaching and feedback to the acquisition of motivational interviewing, innovative training methods are needed. Computer virtual patients may provide a cost-effective alternative that is scalable and supports dissemination of evidence-based practices. This study will evaluate the efficacy of a virtual standardized patient, relative to academic study, for training motivational interviewing among health care professionals from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense.

Conditions

Motivational Interviewing

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Virtual Standardized Patient

Training for 45 minutes at each training time point with a computer program that presented a virtual human patient and two simulated patient encounters. The virtual standardized patient involves a branching story line. Participants select 1 of 3 computer-generated response options at each conversational pause: 1) a response that is consistent with the principles and skills of MI, 2) an MI inconsistent response, or 3) a response that is mixed - partly consistent and partly inconsistent with MI.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Virtual Standardized Patient

Intervention Type: OTHER

Computer program that presented a virtual human patient

Academic Study

Study of a summary handout of motivational interviewing concepts and techniques for 45-minutes.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Academic Study

Intervention Type: OTHER

Study of a summary of motivational interviewing concepts and techniques.

Interventions

Virtual Standardized Patient

Computer program that presented a virtual human patient

Intervention Type: OTHER

Academic Study

Study of a summary of motivational interviewing concepts and techniques.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• All health care staff (e.g., physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists) from supporting service lines are eligible to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

• 8 hours or more of formal training in MI in the year prior to baseline assessment.
• Successfully completed participation in the VA Evidence Based Practice roll-out of MI.
• Served as MI trainers or have conducted research on MI at any time
• Do not anticipate being available for the full duration of the training study (according to their verbal self-report)

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

VA Puget Sound Health Care System

FED

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Greg Reger

Deputy Associate Chief of Staff

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Greg Reger, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

VA Puget Sound Health Care System

References

Reger GM, Norr AM, Rizzo AS, Sylvers P, Peltan J, Fischer D, Trimmer M, Porter S, Gant P, Baer JS. Virtual Standardized Patients vs Academic Training for Learning Motivational Interviewing Skills in the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Military: A Randomized Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Oct 1;3(10):e2017348. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.17348.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 33057643 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

DM150015

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id