Objective: To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of an online motivational interviewing training program for rehabilitation professionals. Design: Pre-post design with two groups. Setting: Private rehabilitation hospital and an academic medical center Subjects: Group 1 included 19 motivational interviewing-experienced rehabilitation professionals. Group 2 included 25 motivational interviewing-naïve rehabilitation professionals. Interventions: Group 1 was exposed to an online motivational training program and Group 2 was exposed to an online motivational training program and a live booster session. Main measures: Motivational interviewing communication skills were measured with an adapted Helpful Responses Questionnaire. Knowledge and attitudes were measured with an adapted Motivational Interviewing Knowledge and Attitudes Test. Confidence, importance, and feasibility for implementing motivational interviewing were measured using the Motivational Interviewing Rulers. Results: Group 1 showed improvement in communication skills (2.6/5–3.3/5; P < 0.05) and confidence (6.0/01–7.4/10; P < 0.01) after online training. Improvements seen in skills and confidence were maintained at three months. Group 2 showed improvement in skills (2.1/5–3.3/5; P < 0.001), knowledge (7.7/10–8.5/10; P < 0.01), confidence (6.4/10–7.5/10; P < 0.01), and importance (8.3/10–8.9/10; P < 0.05) after online training. At three-months post-booster, improvements in communication skills and knowledge were maintained. Conclusions: Online training can be a cost and time effective approach to improve rehabilitation professionals’ skills in motivational interviewing. Follow-up training activities are needed to maintain the level of knowledge and skill improvement.

A series of developments now require health care workers to be skilled diagnosticians and interventionists, and be skilled in relationshipbuilding and communication. In 2001, the Institute of Medicine's Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century report suggested a redesign of the health care system with patient-centered care as an essential dimension of high-quality care. 1 Similarly, the Triple Aim 2 identified "enhancing patient experience" and "improving quality" as 2 of 3 key contributors to optimize health system performance. Further, the health care reimbursement system has changed since the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 3 and reimbursements by federal insurance are increasingly tied to health outcomes and patient satisfaction.Effective provider communication with patients is associated with higher patient satisfaction, 4 better outcomes and treatment adherence, 5 and more efficient health care utilization. 6 In addition, effective communication is associated with fewer malpractice claims 7 and higher health care worker job satisfaction. 8 Despite these benefits, health care workers receive limited training in effective patient communication. WHAT IS THE JOHNS HOPKINS PATIENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM?The Johns Hopkins Patient Engagement Program (PEP) is a comprehensive communication training program intended for staff who have direct contact with patients, including physicians, nurses, and mid-level providers, medical assistants, community health workers, and front desk staff members. The PEP often engages complete teams so that interdisciplinary team members can "speak the same language."The PEP teaches approaches described in the health literacy literature such as Teach Back, 9 attitudes

No abstract