Dealing with Ambivalence Is Extremely Common in Patient-Clinician Interactions

question 13

Multiple Choice

Dealing with ambivalence is extremely common in patient-clinician interactions.Based on your knowledge of motivational interviewing and communication skills,which of the following is the best response to this ambivalent statement? "I want to brush better,but I am always in a hurry."

• A) "You can always brush your teeth while you're watching TV."
• B) "Have you ever considered brushing your teeth while you're in the shower?"
• C) "Many of my patients have the same concern as you.May I introduce you to a way to better clean your teeth that will not take any longer in your busy schedule?"
• D) "Brushing only takes 2 minutes.You can't possibly be that busy!"

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Definitions:

Z-score

A measurement of how many standard deviations a data point is from the mean of a data set.

Position

In a general sense, the location or placement of an object or entity; in data analysis, it might refer to the rank or order of a data point within a dataset.

Area

The extent or measurement of a surface or piece of land.

Standard Normal Random Variable

A type of random variable with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1, used in Z-tests.