title: Influencing behaviour change in general practice - Part 2 - motivational interviewing approaches.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Behaviour change toward achieving a healthy lifestyle is important for all Australians, and general practitioners have a key role to play in assisting patients to make these changes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This is the second of two articles on influencing behaviour change in general practice. This article deals with the 'how to' of motivational interviewing in the general practice setting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Motivational interviewing can help build motivation, commitment and confidence to change. General practitioners can use motivational interviewing to help their patients achieve their health goals. Motivational interviewing is not about a set of techniques and questions; it is about creating a climate that facilitates change; it is more about listening than telling, evoking rather than instilling. Motivational interviewing can be done in the brief periods available in consultations over time.
authors.affiliation: Systems & Innovation Research Centre for Health, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. m.sim@ecu.edu.au
authors.forename: Moira G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wain
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khong
mesh_terms: D032763:Behavior Control / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods*; D009042:Motivation; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires