Self-Efficacy Enhancing Interviewing Techniques Study

Patient self-efficacy, or confidence in one's ability to take the necessary steps to achieve a goal, has been shown to influence a number of important health behaviors and outcomes. However, current ways of increasing patient self-efficacy are time and labor intensive and occur away from doctor visits, where most health care is delivered. We developed, and are testing in a study the effectiveness of a new way of teaching doctors how to talk to patients during office visits in a way that will boost their patients' self-efficacy for changing important health behaviors.