title: Practical behavior change counseling in primary care.
abstract: Unhealthy behaviors lead to significant preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Primary care providers are in a unique position to address these issues with patients. Despite the importance and opportunity for health behavior counseling in primary care, reported rates are low. This article presents a practical model for health behavior counseling in everyday clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Fairview Hospital/Cleveland Clinic Family Medicine Residency Program, Center for Family Medicine, 18200 Lorain Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44111, USA. virginia.simons@fairviewhospital.org
authors.forename: Virginia A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Flocke
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012309:Risk-Taking