US Experts Share Updates on Motivational Interviewing in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

28 April 2016 – A one-day workshop on “Updates on Motivational Interviewing in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus” drew an audience of 80 healthcare professionals comprising of dietitians, nutritionists, doctors, dentist, diabetes educators, nurses from government and private institutions. This event was jointly organised by IMU’s Division of Nutrition and Dietetics and Malaysian Dietitians’ Association, supported by Abbott and Nestle to improve healthcare professionals’ counselling skills in helping people with diabetes change lifestyle related behaviour. The workshop had US experts as speakers: Linda Snetselaar, a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa and Linda Delahanty, Director of Nutrition and Behavioural Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The two speakers covered key topics of how to plan evidence-based lifestyle interventions to real-life practice, how to demonstrate the ability to elicit, recognise and reinforce “change talk” and learn specific MI techniques to motivate behaviour change in patient with diabetes.

Participants of the workshop were delighted to attend this fun and interactive workshop which attracted many healthcare professionals. They have requested for the organisers to conduct similar workshops in the future.