Clinical trial NCT04558060: Randomized, Controlled Evaluation of a Virtual Human Patient for Provider Training in Motivational Interviewing
Official title: Randomized, Controlled Evaluation of a Virtual Human Patient for Provider Training in Motivational Interviewing
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Motivational Interviewing
Lead sponsor: VA Puget Sound Health Care System
Sponsor class: FED
First posted: 2020-09-22
Enrollment: 126
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

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.

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)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 4.2.1 between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 4.2.1 from Baseline to post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 4.2.1 between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 4.2.1 from Baseline to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 4.2.1 between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 4.2.1 from post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline] to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Difference in Helpful Responses Questionnaire between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Helpful Responses Questionnaire from Baseline to post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline]
measure: Difference in Helpful Responses Questionnaire between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Helpful Responses Questionnaire from Baseline to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Helpful Responses Questionnaire between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Helpful Responses Questionnaire from post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline] to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Self-efficacy Scale between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Self-efficacy Scale from Baseline to post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Self-efficacy Scale between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Self-efficacy Scale from Baseline to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Self-efficacy Scale between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Self-efficacy Scale from post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline] to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Provider Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence Survey between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Provider Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence Survey from baseline to post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline]
measure: Difference in Provider Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence Survey between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Provider Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence Survey from baseline to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Provider Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence Survey between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Provider Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence Survey from post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline] to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test from baseline to post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test from baseline to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test from post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline] to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Knowledge Test-Revised between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Knowledge Test-Revised from baseline to post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Knowledge Test-Revised between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Knowledge Test-Revised from baseline to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Motivational Knowledge Test-Revised between the conditions
timeFrame: Change in Motivational Knowledge Test-Revised from post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline] to 3-month follow-up training [approximately 3.5-months after baseline]
measure: Difference in Provider Training Satisfaction Survey between the conditions
timeFrame: Post-training [approximately 2-weeks after baseline]
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: VA Puget Sound Health Care System
name: Greg Reger, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: 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.