From the Guidelines
Effective strategies for driving behavioral change in patients when knowledge alone is insufficient include motivational interviewing, goal setting, and accountability systems, as supported by the most recent and highest quality study 1. When considering the best approach to drive behavioral change, it's essential to prioritize strategies that address the psychological, social, and environmental factors influencing behavior. The key elements of successful behavioral change interventions include:
- Motivational interviewing to enhance the individual's motivation to make behavioral changes
- Setting clear and appropriate treatment targets
- Establishing open and respectful communication between the clinician and the patient
- Using behavioral interventions such as self-monitoring, mindful eating, stimulus control, and stress management
- Providing ongoing support and accountability through regular follow-ups and electronic tools These strategies have been shown to promote healthful habits, improve adherence to dietary change and physical exercise, and ultimately lead to improvements in health, physical stamina, and quality of life (QoL) 1. In particular, intensive behavioral and lifestyle therapy can result in significant weight loss over 4–12 months, with 39%, 20%, and 9% of patients achieving 5%, 10%, and 15% weight loss, respectively 1. By incorporating these evidence-based strategies into clinical practice, healthcare providers can effectively support patients in achieving lasting behavioral change and improving their overall health and well-being.
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Effective Strategies for Behavioral Change
When knowledge alone is insufficient to drive behavioral change, several strategies can be employed to facilitate change in patients. These strategies include:
- Considering factors such as age, ethnicity, community, and technology in the development of behavioral change interventions 2
- Utilizing behavioral change techniques (BCTs) such as the health belief model, the theory of reasoned action/theory of planned behavior, transtheoretical model, and social cognitive theory 2, 3
- Providing venues for peer interventions and family meetings, and making partnerships with community organizations 2
- Using tools such as the readiness ruler and personalized action plan form to assist healthcare teams in facilitating healthy behavior change 2
Implementation of Change in Clinical Practice
Implementing change in clinical practice requires a systematic approach, including:
- Development of valid, reproducible, evidence-based guidelines that are clear, logical, and easily accessible 4
- Promotion of the guidelines among healthcare professionals and families involved in the change in practice 4
- Recognition and addressing of barriers to implementation and change 4
- Evaluation and ongoing audit of the changes in practice to sustain the changes 4
Decision-Making for Clinical Practice Change
Decision-makers can adopt either a sequential or simultaneous approach to making decisions about clinical practice change, including:
- Comparing the costs and effects of alternative guidelines and implementation strategies 5
- Considering the overall value for money in changing clinical practice when making decisions about guidelines and implementation strategies 5
Combining Medical Treatment and Behavioral Interventions
Combining medical treatment with behavioral interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can be effective in treating patients with alcohol dependency, and can lead to: