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In the evolving landscape of addiction treatment, clinicians must continue to build strong and trusting relationships with their patients. These relationships ensure that their patients adhere to care programs and receive the treatment they need – qualities that are particularly necessary in the face of the public health crisis of substance use disorder.  

(MI), a strategy which has gained recognition in recent years, is an impactful way to encourage patient engagement. This patient-centered communication style enhances patient engagement and strengthens the doctor-patient partnership, leading to improved treatment adherence and health outcomes.  

What is Motivational Interviewing? 

Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented approach that centers around active listening and empathetically understanding patients' unique perspectives. MI seeks to encourage patients’ intrinsic motivation for change, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. 

Key Elements of Motivational Interviewing: 

1. Empowerment: By actively listening without judgment, healthcare professionals create a safe environment for patients to share their thoughts, concerns, and fears. By empathizing with patients, practitioners are able to uncover the underlying motivations that drive their behaviors. 

2. Autonomy: MI recognizes that patients possess the capacity to make positive changes in their lives. Rather than providing strict solutions, healthcare professionals using MI instead support patients in resolving their ambivalence, and guiding them toward achievable, value-aligned goals. 

3. Collaboration: MI emphasizes a partnership between healthcare professionals and patients. Instead of adopting a directive role, practitioners work as guides, encouraging open dialogue and fostering a sense of empowerment within patients. 

Benefits of Motivational Interviewing: 

1. Trust and Rapport: Through MI, healthcare professionals communicate their genuine concern, which in turn encourages patients to collaborate on their treatment journey. 

2. Enhanced Engagement: MI fosters active patient participation. The technique ensures that patients feel respected and safe enough to be willing to disclose relevant information. An environment of open exchange also leads to more accurate assessments and better tailored treatment plans. 

3. More Efficient Patient Visits: By building a trusting relationship between physician and patient, MI increases patient engagement. As a result, visits grow shorter and more efficient, as physicians and their patients can work smoothly towards their defined goals. 

3. Improved Treatment Adherence: Traditional approaches, which focus on instruction and regimentation, may inadvertently lead to resistance in patients. Alternatively, MI helps identify and address barriers to change, resulting in patients developing treatment plans that are realistic to their lives. 

4. Sustained Behavioral Change: Motivational Interviewing supports patients in identifying their own reasons for change. As patients become more intrinsically motivated, they are more likely to sustain long-term positive behavioral changes. 

In conclusion… 

By placing patients at the center of their care, MI practitioners demonstrate empathy, respect, and a commitment to collaboration. This approach transforms the healthcare experience for patients, helping them to gain confidence and feel purpose. The approach is additionally transformative for physicians -- by improving patient results and creating a more empathetic treatment environment, MI also decreases the risk of physician burnout. Through the creation of a MI-based collaborative atmosphere, physicians encourage an overall improvement in the healthcare experience – a change that is invaluable in the effort to ensure high quality, successful addiction treatment.   

Ten motivational interviewing questions you can incorporate into your practice.

ASAM’s definition of addiction.

Review ASAM’s clinical guidelines.