SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Advancing Knowledge: An Addiction Medicine Curriculum

Pdf Summary

This document describes a proposed addiction medicine curriculum for Advanced Practice Fellows (APFs), aimed at addressing major gaps in provider education and confidence when caring for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). The authors note that many advanced practice providers feel unprepared to treat SUDs and that formal addiction medicine training is often absent from APP education, despite their ability to move across specialties and spread this knowledge widely.<br /><br />The curriculum is designed to improve knowledge of addiction medicine principles, evidence-based treatment, assessment and screening skills, prescribing confidence for medications for SUDs, harm reduction counseling, understanding of social determinants of health, and knowledge of community resources and referral pathways. A further goal is to increase APFs’ comfort and improve attitudes toward caring for hospitalized patients with SUDs.<br /><br />Curriculum topics include epidemiology of SUDs, risk factors, DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, non-stigmatizing language, opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, stimulant use disorder, harm reduction, and community resources. Instruction will be delivered through in-person lectures, case-based learning, and role-playing. After completion, APFs will participate in qualitative interviews to assess changes in comfort, preparedness, and attitudes toward treating this patient population in the hospital setting.<br /><br />The overall expectation is that targeted addiction medicine education will improve APFs’ ability to care for patients with SUDs and foster more supportive, effective, and compassionate hospital-based treatment. Future plans include offering the curriculum at the University of Colorado Hospital and eventually expanding it to APP audiences nationwide.

Asset Subtitle

Erin A. Szemak

Meta Tag

Author List Elizabeth McWilliams, Erin A. Szemak, Haley Briggs

Category Innovations

Concept Addiction Medicine

Concept Substance Use Disorder

Concept Evidence-Based Practice

Concept Assessment

Concept Screening

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of Colorado Anschutz - Division of Hospital Medicine

Presenting Author Erin A. Szemak

Track Education

Keywords

addiction medicine

advanced practice fellows

substance use disorders

curriculum

harm reduction

prescribing confidence

DSM-5

hospital-based care

non-stigmatizing language

community resources

Addiction Medicine

Substance Use Disorder

Evidence-Based Practice

Assessment

Screening