Stages Of Behavior Change

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Stages of Behavior Change

Individuals need knowledge plus motivation in order to change their behavior. Without sufficient motivation, many individuals relapse to their former behavior within a year. The "stages of change" model gives insights in how to help individuals make lasting changes to their behavior by helping doctors be sensitive to the stages that initiate and maintain behavior change:

• Precontemplation - Patient is not yet thinking about changing behavior
• Contemplation - Patient is considering but is not yet ready to engage in behavior change
• Preparation - Patient intends to take action in the next month
• Action - Patient begins actual process of behavior change
• Maintenance - Patient develops strategires to prevent relapse.

Some examples of how to use behavioral techniques to get individuals to better manage their own health include:

• Help the individual clearly define the problem
• Helping the individual make goals
• Evaluate the readiness for change
• Present better self care as a series of "small, manageable steps"
• Giving feedback to the individual
• Teaching the individual how to monitor their own health and progress with the new behaviors
• Making sure the individual has social support for their change
• Checking patient compliance and commitment to key tasks
• Scheduling appropriate followup visits for monitoring and encouragement

Few physicians ask patients to identify the biggest problems they face in managing their illness.

Because the physicians time is limited, a better approach is the team approach using nurses, psychologists, dietitians, and social workers.

Source:

• Hurst's "The Heart", page 2449, Table 113-1

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