Marcus is a middle-aged patient with hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia who came to see me (CF) for a routine check-up. All of his numbers were getting worse, and as I began to describe this to him, he started to cry.
I had just received training in something called “motivational interviewing” as part of a research study I was participating in, so I immediately stopped the interview and said, “I would like to try something new with you. Let's forget about your numbers for now and work on small goals that you feel you can accomplish. If you had one eating habit that you could change, one that would improve your health, what would it be?”
“I eat too many fried foods,” he responded, explaining that he went to a certain fast-food restaurant five times a week.
“What do you think you could cut that down to?” I asked.
“I'm going to cut out the fried foods entirely,” he said.
I explained, “That's not how this works. We want to set a goal that you are sure you can succeed at.”
Marcus insisted that he could do it; he would not eat any more fried foods by the time I saw him next month. He was no longer crying, and he seemed to feel much better about the encounter. I too felt much better about the encounter. In a very short time, I had developed a sense of closeness and empathy with him that was remarkable to me.
When he came back one month later, he had actually accomplished his goal. He went to the fast-food restaurant only once a week, and when he did he ordered a salad. He reported that he liked this goal-focused approach, was no longer afraid of me and felt like I was his friend. Since that time, he has lost more than 40 pounds and has maintained this loss for more than a year. He is much more active and has reduced his use of pain medicines for chronic back pain.
Nearly every family physician has been there. Patients present with chronic diseases directly associated with their lifestyle habits and choices, yet they feel unable to improve their conditions. Often, what patients “should do” is obvious to the physician – e.g., lose weight, stop smoking or start exercising. What is not so obvious is where these patients are on their journey toward change, and why they are so reluctant to take the next step. For patients at a crossroads, feeling ambivalence or frustration, this may be the perfect opportunity to introduce the philosophy and technique known as motivational interviewing.
Marcus is a middle-aged patient with hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia who came to see me (CF) for a routine check-up. All of his numbers were getting worse, and as I began to describe this to him, he started to cry.I had just received training in something called “motivational interviewing” as part of a research study I was participating in, so I immediately stopped the interview and said, “I would like to try something new with you. Let's forget about your numbers for now and work on small goals that you feel you can accomplish. If you had one eating habit that you could change, one that would improve your health, what would it be?”“I eat too many fried foods,” he responded, explaining that he went to a certain fast-food restaurant five times a week.“What do you think you could cut that down to?” I asked.“I'm going to cut out the fried foods entirely,” he said.I explained, “That's not how this works. We want to set a goal that you are sure you can succeed at.”Marcus insisted that he could do it; he would not eat any more fried foods by the time I saw him next month. He was no longer crying, and he seemed to feel much better about the encounter. I too felt much better about the encounter. In a very short time, I had developed a sense of closeness and empathy with him that was remarkable to me.When he came back one month later, he had actually accomplished his goal. He went to the fast-food restaurant only once a week, and when he did he ordered a salad. He reported that he liked this goal-focused approach, was no longer afraid of me and felt like I was his friend. Since that time, he has lost more than 40 pounds and has maintained this loss for more than a year. He is much more active and has reduced his use of pain medicines for chronic back pain.Nearly every family physician has been there. Patients present with chronic diseases directly associated with their lifestyle habits and choices, yet they feel unable to improve their conditions. Often, what patients “should do” is obvious to the physician – e.g., lose weight, stop smoking or start exercising. What is not so obvious is where these patients are on their journey toward change, and why they are so reluctant to take the next step. For patients at a crossroads, feeling ambivalence or frustration, this may be the perfect opportunity to introduce the philosophy and technique known as motivational interviewing.
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