Joint Meeting of BASCD & EADPH, London, UK
Acknowledgment
The project is supported by grants from the Postdoctoral Programme for Quality Development in Higher Education at Malmö University and the Magnus Bergvall Foundation.
Ethical approval
The project was reviewed by the regional ethical board in
Lund. Participation in the educational element (the intervention) is mandatory, but participation in the evaluations of the project is voluntary.
Participants
All students in the second (final) year at the dental hygienist programme at Malmö University, autumn 2012 to spring 2013, a total of 14 students. The intervention was pilot tested during the spring of 2012 with all 18 students at the final semester.
Intervention
The intervention is an educational element based on MI, with seminars and training programmes to practice elements of MI in clinical situations. After the pilot test, the element was
expanded from three to four seminars, allowing time for more exercises and discussions during each seminar. This will also provide more time for clinical practice between
seminars.
Outline of seminars:
1) The strategies of MI 2) The principles, part I 3) The prinicples, part II
4) Recap and thoughts about the future
Evaluation
1) A questionnaire of seven items for communication self-efficacy before, mid-through, and after the intervention
2) Recordings of student-patient interactions before and after the intervention
3) Focus group interviews before and after the intervention
Self-Efficacy
“Beliefs in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments”
(Bandura, 1997, p.3)
Occupational/Professional Self-Efficacy
Refers to the development and maintenace of professionally related competencies and skills, for example communication self-efficacy in health care professions
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Based on the spirit, guided by the principles and executed by the strategies
Strategies
Using open questions, affirmations, reflective listening and summarising what the patient has said.
Abbreviated as “OARS”
Principles
Creating discrepancy between current and desired
behaviour, rolling with resistance, increasing self-efficacy, and displaying empathy
The Spirit
Collaboration with the patient, evoking willingness and preparedness to change, respecting the patient’s autonomy
Aim
The project aims at strengthening the dental hygienist students’ competence and skills in communicating with patients about
health behaviours, by applying an intervention based on Motivational Interviewing (MI).
Introduction
Adherence to health regimens and recommendations is essential to outcomes of oral treatments. Non-adherence is usually regarded as a patient problem, but perhaps it should be viewed as a
communication problem?
Patient-centred care aims to collaborate with, and empower, the patient. It requires talking with, instead of to, the patient.
Students have difficulties transferring their theoretical knowledge about communication into clinical practice and therefore work
more as health informants (talking to patients) than health
pedagogues (talking with patients). Perhaps this is due to low communication self-efficacy in the students?
Dental hygienist students and communication with patients about health behaviours
- Description of a project’s methodology
Veronica Johansson, Dr. Odont. Sci. The Dental Hygienist Programme, Malmö University, Sweden
Contact: veronica.johansson@mah.se
