Motivational interviewing (MI) is a evidenced-based, patient-centered approach that is attracting increased interest in health care settings. This paper provides an overview of MI including spirits, principles, basic counseling skills aimed to elicit change talk from diabetic patient, and effectiveness in diabetes care. MI may be a useful intervention for helping diabetic patient to improve their glycemic control, treatment adherence, and psychological well-being.
Counseling ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Motivational Interviewing

According to the Jastreboff's neurophysiological model of tinnitus, if negative associations are attached to the tinnitus signal, tinnitus is perceived to be a threat or a danger and it activates the autonomic nervous and limbic systems. Consequently patient's awareness of tinnitus is heightened and so patient perceives it to be louder and more persistent. Jastreboff and Hazell started tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) based on the neurophysiological model of tinnitus. The purpose of TRT is blocking tinnitus from activating the sympathetic nervous and limbic systems (habituation of reaction) and from reaching the cerebral cortex (habituation of perception). TRT is composed of two components directive counseling that tries to reclassify tinnitus into the meaningless stimuli and sound therapy that decreases the relative strength of the tinnitus signal. Physicians try to put patient's tinnitus into the territory of meaningless stimuli through retraining the brain (habituation of reaction). Because the brain habituates all unimportant stimuli, if habituation of reaction is fully achieved, habituation of perception will follow automatically. In most clinical results, clinical success rates of TRT approach or exceed 80% improvement. Early improvement can be achieved during the first few months, followed by additional progressive improvement. It should be recommended that the patient continue treatment at least 18 months.
Brain ; Cerebral Cortex ; Directive Counseling ; Humans ; Limbic System ; Tinnitus*

OBJECTIVES: The authors have treated chronic tinnitus patients using a combination of a simplified tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) and medications, which we called modified TRT. In this clinical setting, we have attempted small-group counseling to find a time-effective equivalent of individual counseling. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of small-group counseling by comparing the treatment outcomes between individual and small-group counseling. METHODS: The patients who had distressing chronic tinnitus with normal hearing or mild hearing loss were included. The subjects were placed into the small-group (group 1:4) or the individual (group 1:1) counseling group, and underwent a modified TRT composed of a single session of directive counseling and ambient sound stimulation. In addition, alprazolam (0.25 mg) and ginkgo biloba extract (80 mg) were administered orally to the subjects for 3 months. The 3- and 6- month outcomes were assessed using the follow-up rates and tinnitus severity scores: awareness, tinnitus handicap inventory (THI), loudness, annoyance, and effect on life. The treatment responses were classified as improvement, no changes, and worsening. RESULTS: Of the total 149 patients (77 in group 1:1; 72 in group 1:4), 104 patients completed the protocol at 3 months, and 55 patients at 6 months. The follow-up rates were similar in both groups. Over the period of 6 months, all scores declined significantly except the loudness score at 3 months in both groups. Treatment responses showed no between-group differences. The success rate based on THI was 70% in group 1:1, and 64% in group 1:4 at 6 months. CONCLUSION: The small-group counseling of our modified TRT was comparable to the individual counseling for tinnitus relief. We suggest that this protocol can be implemented effectively in any crowded otolaryngology clinics.
Alprazolam ; Benzodiazepines ; Counseling* ; Directive Counseling ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ginkgo biloba ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Otolaryngology ; Tinnitus*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore and understand customized home visiting nurses' experiences in telephone visiting. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected from several discussions of 4 focus groups consisting of 20 customized home visiting nurses. All interviews were recorded and transcribed according to thematic content analysis processes. RESULTS: The five main themes on customized home visiting nurses' experiences of telephone visiting were 'greeting', 'counseling', 'using strategies', 'maintaining attitude for enhancing relations' and 'enduring difficulties'. The category of 'counseling' was composed of confirming, educating, supporting, adjusting, and indicating. And, the category of 'using strategies' included complimenting, scolding, persuading, compensating, and ignoring. CONCLUSION: Developing a standardized manual on telephone visiting is needed to guide an effective counseling. In order for a customized home visiting nurse to be a good telephone counselor, training of motivational interviewing is recommended.
Counseling ; Focus Groups ; House Calls* ; Motivational Interviewing ; Nurses, Community Health ; Telephone*

The purpose of this study was to develop a motivational interviewing (MI) training program to improve competency in communication and to effect the evaluated changes that would occur in dental students' counseling techniques as result of the training in the program. The study proceeded through the program via role-play practice, which was explained effectively during the MI program training process. A convenience sample of 43 fourth-year dental hygiene students was recruited. Twenty-two students were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 21 to the control group in the order of recruitment. The theoretical lecture was delivered over 3 hours and the practice was done in parallel by applying cases occurring in clinic settings. The practice was technical training, partner practice, and small group practice. The intervention group received three hour MI lecture while the control group received no lecture. Evaluation through role-play practice was separated according to “researcher's viewpoint,” “counselor's role viewpoint,” and “patient's role viewpoint.” The results of the analysis showed that the intervention group had higher MI skills and ability than the control group. Furthermore, program participants showed positive impressions to the MI training program. The use of coaching sessions improved the MI techniques and counseling skills of dental hygiene students learning MI. The effect of the application of the MI training program was that the MI training improved counseling skills and interviewing abilities. Moreover, continuous training and feedback enhanced MI techniques and core skills. Training using lectures in parallel with practice rather than education through theory alone improved students' techniques. Application of role play through the combined method of the MI program was confirmed by an effective training method.
Counseling ; Education ; Group Practice ; Humans ; Learning ; Lectures ; Methods ; Motivational Interviewing ; Oral Hygiene

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) was introduced as a new method for tinnitus management, and it is currently an efficacious therapy in use. In this article, we would like to show the effectiveness of directive counseling in TRT on tinnitus management. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A total of 1, 100 patients who visited tinnitus clinic at the Severance Hospital from 1999 to 2002 were included in this study. Their characteristics and negative associations of tinnitus were investigated. Forty-six patients who were managed with directive counseling were evaluated with questionnaires about the psychoacoustic characteristics of tinnitus and the subjective changes in tinnitus. RESULTS: Tinnitus was developed after stress (35.6%), fatigue (32.0%) and exposure to noise (21.4%), and it was negatively associated with hearing loss (51.8%), continuation of tinnitus (51.6%) and sleep disorder (17.5%). Factors such as awareness, loudness, annoyance, the effect on life tinnitus had were decreased after directive counseling. And the tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) score was also significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: Directive counseling in TRT which includes explanation of neurophysiology of tinnitus should be tried preferentially before habituation occurs.
Directive Counseling* ; Fatigue ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Neurophysiology ; Noise ; Psychoacoustics ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tinnitus*

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases. The prevalence of smoking among male adults in Korea has declined rapidly. However, it is still much higher than that of the developed western countries. Evidence consistently shows that a brief smoking cessation intervention delivered by a physician increases quit rates and is highly cost-effective. As a brief strategy in the primary care setting, following the "rule of 5 A's" is recommended for patients willing to quit, and the "rule of 5 R's" for helping encourage the motivation to quit. Among the motivational interventions, which are the crucial steps for successful smoking cessation, the motivational interviewing has been tried widely and proven to be effective. Because a high proportion of quitters relapse, especially within 6 months after cessation, and continue to relapse thereafter, many studies addressing relapse prevention have been performed. However, recent metaanalytic studies have shown scant support for the interventions. Only a few studies have shown the effects of the interventions on long-term abstinence. In Korea, we have few data on the effectiveness of motivational intervention. The majority of the studies on relapse were conducted based on the smoking cessation clinics in public health centers. For effective smoking cessation counseling, we need to provide education and training for physicians, to provide economic rewards to physicians for participating in smoking cessation intervention, and to invest in research and development for smoking cessation interventions based in the primary care setting, and to develop guidelines for clinicians based on the evidences from Korean data.
Adult ; Counseling ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Motivation ; Motivational Interviewing ; Prevalence ; Primary Health Care ; Public Health ; Recurrence ; Reward ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation

Child obesity has become a significant health issue in Korea. Prevalence of obesity in school-age children in Korea has been alarmingly rising since 2008. Prevalence of obesity among infants and preschool-age children in Korea has doubled since 2008. Obese children may develop serious health complications. Before nutritional counseling is pursued, several points should be initially considered. The points are modifiable risk factors, assessment for child obesity, and principles of treatment. Motivational interviewing and a multidisciplinary team approach are key principles to consider in managing child obesity effectively in the short-term as well as long-term. Nutritional counseling begins with maintaining a daily log of food and drink intake, which could possibly be causing obesity in a child. Several effective tools for nutritional counseling in practice are the Traffic Light Diet plan, MyPlate, Food Balance Wheel, and ‘Food Exchange Table’. Detailed nutritional counseling supported by a qualified dietitian is an art of medicine enabling insulin therapy and hypoglycemic agents to effectively manage diabetes mellitus in obese children.
Child* ; Counseling* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Infant ; Insulin ; Korea* ; Motivational Interviewing ; Nutritionists ; Obesity ; Pediatric Obesity ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

Objective tinnitus which may be caused by contraction of the tensor tympani and stapedial muscles is extremely rare. We present a case of middle ear myoclonus with voluntary palatal myoclonus in a musician. Otologic examination demonstrated rhythmic involuntary movement of the tympanic membrane after the exposure of loud sound or blowing of the musical instrument. Impedance audiometry confirmed the motion of tympanic membrane and those movements correlated with a tinnitus perceived by the patient. Palatal myoclonic motion, voluntarily evoked by the patient, was observed by oral examination and heard by Toynbee tube objectively. Medical treatment and directive counseling were effective for voluntary palatal myoclonus. However, the main symptom of tinnitus caused by middle ear myoclonus was not changed. The patient's tinnitus was cured by tympanotomy with sectioning of the tensor tympani and stapedial tendons.
Acoustic Impedance Tests ; Diagnosis, Oral ; Directive Counseling ; Dyskinesias ; Ear, Middle* ; Humans ; Muscles ; Music ; Myoclonus* ; Tendons ; Tensor Tympani ; Tinnitus* ; Tympanic Membrane

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the therapeutic effect of adjunctive bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with tinnitus. METHODS: Forty-four patients who visited our university hospital with a complaint of non-pulsatile subjective tinnitus in January through December 2016 were enrolled. All patients received directive counseling and sound therapy, such as a sound generator or hearing aids, and/or oral clonazepam. Patients who agreed to undergo additional bifrontal tDCS were classified as the study group (n = 26). For tDCS, 1.5 mA of direct current was applied to the prefrontal cortex with a 10–20 EEG system for 20 minutes per session. RESULTS: The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck Depression Inventory, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores decreased significantly after treatment (P < 0.001). Patients who had a moderate or catastrophic handicap were significantly more likely to respond favorably to bifrontal tDCS (P = 0.026). There was no correlation of number of tDCS sessions with change in the THI or VAS score (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the initial THI score was independently associated with improvement in the THI. However, tDCS was not a significant determinant of recovery. CONCLUSION: tDCS can be used as an adjunctive treatment in patients with severe tinnitus. Although tDCS did not decrease the loudness of tinnitus, it could alleviate the distress associated with the condition in some patients with a moderate or catastrophic handicap.
Clonazepam ; Depression ; Directive Counseling ; Electroencephalography ; Hearing Aids ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Tinnitus* ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation* ; Visual Analog Scale