Clinical Health Psychology: Other Resources

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force adopted the following terminology to describe minimal contact interventions that are provided by a variety of clinical staff in primary care settings:

• Assess: Ask about/assess behavioral health risk(s) and factors affecting choice of behavior change goals/methods.
• Advise: Give clear, specific, and personalized behavior change advice, including information about personal health harms/benefits.
• Agree: Collaboratively select appropriate treatment goals and methods based on the patient's interest in and willingness to change the behavior.
• Assist: Using behavior change techniques (self-help and/or counseling), aid the patient in achieving agreed-upon goals by acquiring the skills, confidence, and social/environmental supports for behavior change, supplemented with adjunctive medical treatments when appropriate (e.g., pharmacotherapy for tobacco dependence, contraceptive drugs/devices).
• Arrange: Schedule follow-up contacts (in person or by telephone) to provide ongoing assistance/support and to adjust the treatment plan as needed, including referral to more intensive or specialized treatment.