LEARNING NEEDS ASSESSMENTS OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY PRIMARY HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS FOR AN ONLINE COURSE ON MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING TO SUPPORT TYPE 2 DIABETES CARE

Diabetes significantly impacts public health systems globally and in Thailand. Motivational interviewing (MI), an evidence-based counseling method, improves patient outcomes through behavior change. Despite MI’s potential, gaps in implementation persist in primary care, necessitating targeted online continuing professional development (CPD) for multidisciplinary teams. This study examined online learning needs for MI among primary care teams using a mixed-methods approach with structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative phase surveyed 320 health care professionals across eight districts in four provinces of northeastern Thailand, while the qualitative phase included focus group discussions with health care professionals from seven primary care units. Results showed a 54.4% response rate with predominantly female workforce (82.8%) and nurses comprising 43.3%. Most respondents had up to a decade of T2DM counseling experience, with only 20.1% having prior online training exposure and 34.5% having MI training. Respondents preferred brief daily online sessions (10-15 minutes) and requested technological support, assessments, and professional development incentives. The findings indicate that multidisciplinary primary health care professionals need online MI courses tailored to their specific needs and preferences, with further studies needed to evaluate course uptake and effectiveness.