SBIR-STTR Award

Web-Based Simulated Patient Interviewing for Developing Mi Skills for Health Care
Award last edited on: 9/20/13

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NCATS
Total Award Amount
$316,524
Award Phase
1
Solicitation Topic Code
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Principal Investigator
John S Baer

Company Information

Talaria Inc

1121 34th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122
   (206) 748-0443
   N/A
   www.talariainc.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 09
County: King

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R43TR000472-01A1
Start Date: 9/1/12    Completed: 8/31/13
Phase I year
2012
Phase I Amount
$316,524
Modifiable behavioral risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, two of the most costly diseases in both human and monetary terms, include obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking tobacco and excess alcohol consumption. Despite a longstanding movement in the medical community towards models of chronic care to support changes in behavioral risk factors, primary care clinicians, in general, do not provide a key feature in chronic care models: patient-centered behavioral counseling. Motivational Interviewing (MI), an evidence-based form of patient-centered counseling, improves patient outcomes when applied to risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. To support dissemination of MI for health behavior change in primary care, the field needs low cost and highly accessible methods to both evaluate and train practitioners of many disciplines in patient-centered communication. The proposed project aims to develop a computer-based system to support healthcare providers consisting of a health care specific MI skills assessment and a suite of simulated patient training cases that providers can use to practice their MI skills. The system will be web-based to greatly facilitate access and utility. Phase I aims include developing a prototype of the skill assessment and one interactive practice case, conducting usability testing of the practice case with 12 clinicians and conducting a pilot study of the initial psychometric properties of the skill assessment with 24 primary care providers. In Phase II, the complete product will be developed and evaluated in a randomized trial to establish reliability and validity of the assessment and training effectiveness of the training cases. Given the crucial health challenge presented by diabetes and heart disease, as well as wide movement to adopt chronic care and primary care medical home models, we expect demand for such a product to be large.

Public Health Relevance:
This project will develop online training support resources for healthcare providers learning motivational interviewing. Chronic diseases such as diabetes have reached epidemic proportions in the US but are largely preventable and treatable with health behavior changes. With better access to training in motivational interviewing, healthcare providers may be better able to help patients make difficult lifestyle changes.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
This project will develop online training support resources for healthcare providers learning motivational interviewing. Chronic diseases such as diabetes have reached epidemic proportions in the US but are largely preventable and treatable with health behavior changes. With better access to training in motivational interviewing, healthcare providers may be better able to help patients make difficult lifestyle changes.

NIH Spending Category:
Behavioral and Social Science; Clinical Research; Health Services; Mind and Body; Prevention; Substance Abuse

Project Terms:
Adopted; base; behavior change; Behavioral; Blood Glucose; Cardiovascular Diseases; case-based; Chronic; Chronic Care; chronic care model; Chronic Disease; Code; Collaborations; Communication; Communication Methods; Communities; Companions; Computers; Consultations; cost; Counseling; Data; Development; Diabetes Mellitus; Diet; Discipline; Disease; Educational process of instructing; Educational workshop; Effectiveness; Empathy; empowered; Epidemic; Evaluation; evidence base; Exercise; Faculty; Family Practice; follow-up; Health; Health behavior change; Health Care Costs; Health Personnel; Healthcare; Healthcare Systems; Heart Diseases; Heavy Drinking; Home environment; Human; improved; innovation; instrument; Intervention; Interview; Joints; Lead; Learning; Life Style; Medical; medication compliance; member; Methodology; Methods; Modeling; Monitor; Motivation; motivational enhancement therapy; Movement; Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus; Nurse Practitioners; Obesity; Online Systems; Outcome; Patient Education; patient oriented; Patients; person centered; Phase; Physical activity; Physician Assistants; Physicians; Pilot Projects; Prevention; Primary Health Care; Process Assessment (Health Care); product development; programs; Property; prototype; Provider; Psychometrics; Randomized Controlled Trials; randomized trial; Recording of previous events; Registered nurse; Research; research and development; Research Infrastructure; Resources; response; Risk Behaviors; Risk Factors; satisfaction; Simulate; skill acquisition; skills; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Small Business Technology Transfer Research; Smoking; Stress; Substance abuse problem; substance abuse treatment; System; Techniques; Technology; Testing; Time; Tobacco; Tobacco use; Training; Training Support; Universities; usability; Validity and Reliability; Washington

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
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Phase II Amount
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