Comparison of Face-To-Face and Synchronous Web-Based Training in Motivational Interviewing for Health and Human Service Professionals: Does Training Method Matter?

Abstract

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a client-centered technique that builds intrinsic motivation for behavior change that healthcare professionals can acquire to provide better care for their clients. Currently, MI training is done face-to-face; however, to make training more accessible, online training needs to be evaluated. Eighteen human and health service professionals were randomized and participated in fourteen hours of either a face-to-face or online synchronous MI training. To distinguish skill level and proficiency between the groups participants completed an audio recording with another participant and was coded using Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) 4.2.1. There was statistical significance (p=0.045) in the behavioral count of giving information. However, no other significant differences were found indicating there was no difference between the two training modalities. A synchronous online MI training is as efficacious as traditional face-to-face training. Synchronous online training may enable MI training for healthcare professionals who live in remote areas.