Objective
To assess the effectiveness of a training program for Primary Care (PC) professionals developed to increase knowledge, attitudes, and skills for managing patients with risky alcohol use and in the motivational interview.
Design
Multicenter, two-arm parallel, randomized, open-label controlled clinical trial.
Setting
PC of the Andalusian Health Service.
Participants
The study was completed by 80 healthcare professionals from 31 PC centers.
Interventions
In both experimental and control groups, a workshop on managing patients with risky alcohol consumption and the resolution of two videotaped clinical cases with standardized patients were conducted. The experimental group attended a workshop on motivational interviewing.
Main measurements
Knowledge about managing risky alcohol use, clinical performance in patients with this health problem, and assessment of the motivational interview.
Results
Mean age was 39.50±13.06 – SD – (95% CI: 36.59–42.41); 71.3% (95% CI: 61.1–80.9%) were women. The average score of both groups in the knowledge questionnaire before the training program was 15.10±4.66, becoming 21.99±3.93 points after the training (95% CI: 5.70–7.92; p<0.001). The experimental group showed an average score of 18.53±13.23 before the intervention with the motivational interview and 28.33±11.86 after this intervention (p=0.002). In contrast, no significant variation was found in the score of the control group.
Conclusions
A training program aimed at PC professionals designed to increase knowledge on how to manage risky alcohol use and acquire communication skills in motivational interviewing is effective.
