Exploration of the Impact of Baseline Clinician Learner Characteristics on Motivational Interviewing Skill Improvement Following Training With a Virtual Standardized Patient

• Published in: Training and education in professional psychology 2024-11, Vol.18 (4), p.378-385
• Main Authors: Zaizar, Eric D., Gramlich, Michael A., Rizzo, Albert "Skip", Reger, Greg M., Norr, Aaron M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Female; Human; Male; Mental Health; Motivation Training; Motivational Interviewing; Psychoeducation; Training
• ISSN: 1931-3918; 1931-3926
• DOI: 10.1037/tep0000490

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of baseline learner characteristics on motivational interviewing (MI) skill acquisition with and without virtual standardized patient (VSP) supplementation. Data from a two-group, randomized trial of 120 volunteer health care professionals recruited from a Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense medical facility were used for this exploratory analysis. Training conditions included a branching storyline VSP, which provided MI skill rehearsal/feedback, and an academic study control. Nine multivariate analysis of variance models were used to examine the effects of baseline characteristics, assigned training condition, and their respective interactions in predicting MI skill improvements from baseline to posttraining. Follow-up between-subjects effects for significant omnibus tests were examined to evaluate the main effects for the baseline characteristics and the interaction effects. A statistically significant interaction was found between training condition and previous MI training, F(3, 99) = 2.77, p = .046; Pillai's trace = .077; ηp2 = .077, on motivational interviewing treatment integrity skill change. This study serves as an initial step in the direction of elucidating, which learners benefit most from simulation-based mental health care training using VSPs. We found that learners with minimal previous MI training benefited more from supplemented training with a VSP rather than traditional academic study alone. Public Significance Statement This study reports on an exploratory analysis examining the impact of baseline learner characteristics on motivational interviewing (MI) skill acquisition with and without virtual standardized patient (VSP) supplementation. Learners with minimal previous MI training experienced greater increases in relational skills when training with a VSP. The VSP used in this study represents a scalable tool that may be particularly helpful for training novice clinicians in MI relational skills.