title: Dental Hygienists' Experiences with Motivational Interviewing: A Qualitative Study.
abstract: The effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing (MI) to change health behaviors is well documented. Previous studies support use of MI to change oral health behaviors in the areas of early childhood caries and periodontal diseases, but research is limited due to the sparse number of oral health care providers with training in MI. The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) formally integrated MI training into its dental hygiene curriculum five years ago. Summative program evaluation of UMKC's MI training shows that it effectively equips graduates with MI skills. The aim of this qualitative study was to use semi-structured interviews with nine program alumni to provide insight into the experiences of MI-trained dental hygienists in clinical practice. All interviews were captured with a digital voice recorder, were transcribed, and were resubmitted to the interviewees for checking. Five themes emerged from the data analysis: salience, best practices, barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned. These dental hygienists strongly valued and embraced the spirit of MI. They reported feeling strongly that it should be part of all dental hygiene curricula, and they upheld MI as a best practice. The participants approved of their MI instruction as a whole but felt it was difficult and sometimes not viable in practice. They reported that MI training had improved their communication skills and increased treatment acceptance. Time, difficulty, and managing patient resistance were the most often cited barriers, while a supportive climate and creating a routine were the most often cited facilitators.
authors.affiliation: Prof. Curry-Chiu is Assistant Professor, Dental Hygiene Department, Johnson County Community College; Dr. Catley is Professor, Departments of Psychology and Dentistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Prof. Voelker is Associate Professor, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry; and Prof. Bray is Professor and Director, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Margaret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Curry-Chiu
authors.affiliation: Prof. Curry-Chiu is Assistant Professor, Dental Hygiene Department, Johnson County Community College; Dr. Catley is Professor, Departments of Psychology and Dentistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Prof. Voelker is Associate Professor, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry; and Prof. Bray is Professor and Director, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Delwyn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catley
authors.affiliation: Prof. Curry-Chiu is Assistant Professor, Dental Hygiene Department, Johnson County Community College; Dr. Catley is Professor, Departments of Psychology and Dentistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Prof. Voelker is Associate Professor, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry; and Prof. Bray is Professor and Director, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry.
authors.forename: Marsha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Voelker
authors.affiliation: Prof. Curry-Chiu is Assistant Professor, Dental Hygiene Department, Johnson County Community College; Dr. Catley is Professor, Departments of Psychology and Dentistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Prof. Voelker is Associate Professor, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry; and Prof. Bray is Professor and Director, Division of Dental Hygiene, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. brayk@umkc.edu.
authors.forename: Kimberly Krust
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Bray
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D062405:Motivational Interviewing; D009909:Oral Health; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012649:Self Concept
keywords: allied dental education; dental hygiene education; health behavior; health plan implementation; interview; motivational interviewing; oral health; patient education; qualitative research