With whom did you have sex? Evaluation of a partner notification training for STI professionals using motivational interviewing.

Abstract: Objective: To enhance partner notification (PN) practices in Dutch STI clinics, a PN training using motivational interviewing as core strategy was offered to STI professionals and evaluated. Methods: The effectiveness of PN training on professionals’ attitude, self-efficacy, skills and behavior toward PN, was examined using within-subject and between-subject comparison. Before the training and at three months follow-up, a questionnaire was completed by the intervention group (n =54) and a non-random control group (n =37). Results: In the within-subject comparison, positive changes were observed in self-efficacy, skills, and PN behaviors (all p <.05), but not in attitudes toward PN. When we examined differences in change-scores between the intervention and control group, self-efficacy was no longer significant. Conclusion: The PN training significantly improved PN skills and -behavior, but had no effect on professionals’ attitudes or self-efficacy toward PN. The selection of a convenience control sample seems to offer a more rigorous test of hypotheses than pre–post evaluation only. Practice implications: The beneficial effect of PN training of STI professionals seems to support a wider roll-out of the training to all STI clinics in the Netherlands, although effects on the number of partners notified and transmissions prevented need to be examined in future research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]