Transtheoretical Model In Health Psychology

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Many of the topics that I learned in Health Psychology will be useful in my career as a primary care physician. Particularly the two topics that seem to be the most influential in my future work are motivational interviewing and the stage theories of health behavior, specifically the Transtheoretical Model. Stage theories are important in primary care because an overwhelming percentage, if not all of the most common illnesses i.e. obesity, diabetes, heart disease that primary care doctors treat are preventable and are influenced by individual health behaviors. These theories emphasize behavior change as a process that involves distinct stages through which a patient can progress or retrogress. Knowledge of these stage theories allows physicians …show more content…
As a doctor I will understand the importance of determining whether a patient is in the precontemplation phase, in which they have no intention to change, the maintenance stage in which they have made the change and are attempting to avoid relapse, or in any of the stages in between. After I determine which stage a patient is in I can provide them with an intervention method that most closely matches their progress in their attempted health behavior change. For example, if an obese patient seemed to be in the precontemplation stage I would explain to them the benefits of healthy eating and exercise and how health behavior change could positively influence their health. If that same patient came back for a visit a few months later and seemed to have advanced to the maintenance phase I would focus on helping that patient develop ways that they could maintain their healthy eating and exercise regiment. This technique will allow me to provide more patient specific care and optimize the short time (~15 minutes) that I will have with a pateient per …show more content…
I have struggled with being overweight and obese all of my life and each time I go see my primary care doctor I am instructed to watch my fat and carb intake and get more exercise and am sent on my way. Never has a primary care physician attempted to determine where I was with respect to being motivated to lose weight (via some stage theory such as the transtheoretical model). My primary care physicians have occasionally warned me of the negative consequences of being overweight, but have never encouraged change talk using a technique such as motivational