Assessment of motivational interviewing with the VASE-(Mental) Healthcare: Mixed-methods study to examine feasibility and validity in the general practice setting.

Abstract

The VASE-(M)HC is an instrument to evaluate Motivational Interviewing (MI) skills. We adjusted the previous version for use in the broader (mental) healthcare context, incorporated new MI insights, expanded the scoring system and created a parallel version. Feasibility and validity evidence in the general practice setting was explored. The teaching staff of the GP specialty-training, GP-, and PN-trainees (N = 156) completed the VASE-(M)HC. In this mixed-methods study, we examined psychometric characteristics, compared parallel versions, and interviewed assessors. Our adjustments enable assessment of a wider range of MI skills, and allow differentiation of basic and advanced skills. Inter-rater reliability was excellent and internal consistency of the total scale was good for both versions. The parallel versions are comparable in terms of difficulty. The VASE-(M)HC is improved by our revisions and adds multiple advantages to the domain of available MI assessment tools. Due to the adjustments, the instrument can be used in the GP setting (instead of sole focus on substance abuse). The parallel version is useful for research (pretest/posttest) and selective assessment (retake of a test). It is promising to further explore its applicability in the broader (mental) healthcare context and as training material.