Evidence-based guidelines for teaching patient-centered interviewing

In a rare study of effectiveness of an interviewing method, we previously r eported a randomized controlled trial demonstrating that training in a step -by-step patient-centered interviewing method improved residents' knowledge , attitudes, and skills and had a consistently positive effect on trained r esidents' patients. For those who wish to use this evidence-based patient-c entered method as a template for their own teaching, we describe here for t he first time our training program - and propose that the training can be a dapted for students, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other new learners as well. Training was skills-oriented and experient ial, fostered positive attitudes towards patient-centered interviewing, and used a learner-centered approach which paid special attention to the teach er-resident relationship and to the resident's self-awareness. Skills train ing was guided by a newly identified patient-centered interviewing method t hat described the step-by-step use of specific behaviors. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.