Putting it all Together

We have covered many different skills in this module. Determining the patient’s stage of change will help guide which communication tools may be most helpful.

For pre-contemplative patients:

• Pros and cons may help you better understand your patients values
• Reflections can be used to respond to sustain talk
• Ask-tell-ask to provide information that might lead your patient to consider change

For contemplative patients who are already thinking about change, you’re trying to build motivation and confidence.

• Pros and cons and rulers to elicit change talk
• Open ended questions and reflections to amplify change talk
• Reflections to respond to sustain talk – remember this is to be expected!
• Double sided reflections to highlight ambivalence and their reasons for change

For patients in the preparation stage, your goal is a specific plan to increase the likelihood of success.

• Ask-tell-ask to provide information on options
• Menu of options that others have used
• Develop a SMART goal together