How to Maximize Motivation in a Patient

Well, I'm not a Healthcare Professional, but I would think a Doctor would have to find out what motivates the patient.

Usually, Doctors say if you don't do this, then this bad thing will happen.  An example might be "If you don't lose weight, you run the risk of early death or disability".  

Examples of "Do This or Else" might be:

• "Change Your Life-Style" or "Take Better Care of Yourself",
• Reduce/Stop Alcohol Consumption and/or Recreational Drug Usage,
• Lose Weight and/or Eat Better
• Reduce and/or Manage Stress
• Show up for Medical or Therapy Appointments, 
• Take Medication Regularly, 
• Exercise Regularly, 
• Socialize More, etc.

This "Do this or Else" approach might work with some people, but what motivates one person might not motivate another person.  Some other examples of What Might Motivate Patients to Change are these or a combination of these:

• Longer Life
• Less Pain
• My Healthcare Costs are too high because of my current lifestyle.  (Cost)
• Family members need me.
• What's in it for me, if I change?
• Life is passing me by, etc.

Might there be a better way to Motivate Patients?  I think so, if the Doctor got to know the Patient better, perhaps via an Easy to Use Motivation Questionnaire to "see" what approach might work best for each patient, instead of "trial and error" motivation approaches, or Frustration on both the Doctor and Patient parts.

One way to Maximize the Motivation in each Patient would be Simple Motivation Testing.  In this Testing, the Doctor would find out whether the Patient is Intrinsically Motivated or Externally Motivated - or some of both.

It seems like there is not a ready-to-use General Purpose Patient Motivation Questionnaire, yet.  Here's what I found so far:

FRI0114 Development of The Patient Motivation Questionnaire ...

Looking for an assessment tool to measure motivation in a physical ...

The Treatment Motivation Survey: defining patient motivation ... - NCBI

Instruments for measuring patients' perception and motivation

The treatment motivation survey: Defining patient motivation for ...

Patient Questionnaire - Ohio State Wexner Medical Center - The Ohio ...

Patient Motivation and Adherence to Postsurgery Rehabilitation ...

Development and reliability of the Motivation for Change Questionnaire.

The relationship between the readiness for change and clinical ... - NCBI

Motivational Questioning for People with Chronic Pain - University of ...

More out there folks, but still no Simple General Purpose Patient Motivation Questionnaire for General Practitioners.

So what can be done until such a Simple Test is developed, you might ask?  Perhaps use or modify one of these Easy to Use Motivation Tests:

What motivates you - Take the Motivation Test - Learnmyself

Change Questionnaire - unm casaa

Change Plan Worksheet

Change-Readiness Assessment

Self-Motivation Test - Squarespace

What's Your Motivation Style? - Marcia Conner

 

 Conclusion - 

• There seems to be no General Purpose Patient Motivation Questionnaire for General Practitioners, yet.  I think there will be in the future.  

• There are, however, Generic Easy to Use Motivation Questionnaires available now that might help until one for Patients is developed.  

  In any event, Doctors Please Get to Know Your Patients Better, especially those with Chronic Conditions.

  
  

 

 Disclaimer - Article is for information only and is not medical advice.