Table 1.

The Seven Steps of Medical MI

1. Mutual agenda setting

2. Decision balance (The good vs. the not-so-good aspects of behavior)

3. Interest, readiness, and confidence rulers (On a 1–10 scale, how interested are you to change any aspect of your behavior? How ready are you to make that change right now, on a scale from 1–10? How confident are you that you could make that change, on a scale from 1–10?)

4. Individualized feedback (Sharing patients’ own health data)

5. Summary

6. Key question (Ask patient “Where do we go from here?”)

7. Negotiate change plan (In partnership with patient)