Evaluation parameters
The effectiveness of motivational interviewing techniques in eliciting behavioral change is determined by the skill of the health care practitioners in using motivational interviewing techniques and the degree of collaboration by the patient. The success of Motivational interviewing is determined by how best it motivates people in meeting the goals of the change process (Butler et al, 2007).
In this change program on the use of motivational interviewing to motivate diabetic patients to embrace positive lifestyles, the effectiveness of motivational intervention can be evaluated on how it meets the health outcomes of the diabetic patients.
The overall effectiveness of the motivational interviewing in this change program can be determined by how it improves the diabetic patient health outcomes. According to Steinberg, (2012), some of the parameters that can be evaluated in the determination of the overall effectiveness of motivational interviewing include,
1) A reduction of the complications of diabetes in patients
2) The degree of adherence by patient to diabetes medication regimes.
3) The ability of patients to stick to healthy lifestyles. Examples of the healthy lifestyles parameters that can be used in the determination of the effectiveness of motivational interviewing include,
a) Increase in the level of physical activity
b) Reduction or the quitting alcohol.
c) Improved adherence to the schedules of self monitoring of blood glucose.
d) Willingness to talk and initiate change task with primary care providers.
e) The adherence to the schedule of physician consultations.
According to Steinberg, (2012), the other parameters that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing include,
I) Reduction of patient ambivalence
Patient ambivalence is a serious problem for diabetic patients. The effectiveness of motivational interviewing can be evaluated on how it meets the goals of reducing patient ambivalence to the process of change in diabetic patients. The elimination and the reduction of ambivalence to change to healthier lifestyles can help diabetes patients obtain better health outcomes (Steinberg, 2012).
ii) Determination of the discrepancy between a patients promised behavior and actual behaviors
Many diabetes patients have problems maintaining lifestyle changes and acquired behaviors. The discrepancy between a patient’s actual behavior and the promised behavior can provide an overview of how a patient is motivated in the change process. Less motivated patients display a high discrepancy between actual and promised behavior compared to patients who are highly motivated (Steinberg, 2012).
Iii) The level of engagement between primary care providers and patients
Lack of sufficient skills on motivational interviewing by health care practitioners is one of the major problems that limit the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in behavioral change programs. The skill level of primary care providers in motivational interviewing is an indication of the level of engagement between clients and providers (Steinberg, 2012).
Skillful health care providers work fully to understand the client’s perspectives before they can initiate change talk. Skilled healthcare providers also focus on engaging the patient before the initiation of the change talk. They also build positive relationships between them and the patient. The level of engagement between the patient and the health care providers can be used to determine the effectiveness of the motivational interviewing (Steinberg, 2012).
iv) Assessing the level of motivational of patients in embracing change
Motivation is a very important factor for clients in the behavioral change process. Highly motivated patients are not ambivalent to change and have no problems sustaining acquired behaviors (Steinberg, 2012).
The level of motivation of diabetes patients to embrace change can be used a san indicator of how effective primary care providers are in motivating patients to embrace change. The level of motivation of patients motivation can therefore, be used to evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (Steinberg, 2012).
Importance of the evaluation in motivational interviewing
Measuring the health outcomes of diabetes patients is very essential in the evaluation of the effectiveness of motivational interviewing in diabetes care. These health outcomes represent the necessarily behavioral choices that diabetic patients need to adhere to improve their management of diabetes (Steinberg, 2012).
The Observance of healthy lifestyles is very essential for the diabetic patients to manage their illness. The evaluation of the health outcomes for diabetic patients should be a continuous process because diabetes is a lifestyle disease. The Continued evaluation of the health parameters is very essential in primary care of diabetes. The evaluation of these health parameters allows primary care providers to use different motivational interviewing strategies to enhance the change process in patients (Steinberg, 2012).
The evaluation of these health outcomes of diabetes patients is very essential as it can make the health care provider identify the areas where patients are not meeting the standards of good self care of diabetes .Health care providers can utilize a different strategy to motivate patient to change from the evaluation process. For example, a primary care provider can notice that a diabetes patient is not eating a healthy diet but meets all other criteria of observing a healthy lifestyle. The primary care provider can then utilize another motivational interviewing technique to motivate the patient to observe change to a healthy diet (Steinberg, 2012).
The evaluation of motivational interviewing effectiveness is also essential for the benchmarking process by health care organizations in their endeavor of improving health outcomes of patients (Miller & Rollnick, 2002).
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Miller, W., & Moyers T., (2007). “Eight stages in learning motivational interviewing. Journal of
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Miller W., & Rollnick S., (2002) Motivational interviewing preparing people for change.
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Steinberg M., (2012).Clinical perspectives on the use of motivational interviewing in diabetes
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