SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Craving for More: Expanding Addiction Medicine Training for Advanced Practice Providers

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This project addressed a major barrier in the opioid epidemic: too few clinicians are trained to diagnose and treat opioid use disorder (OUD), especially among advanced practice providers (APPs) such as nurse practitioners and physician associates. The goal was to improve competence and confidence in OUD care by embedding addiction medicine training into a Hospital Medicine Advanced Practice Fellowship (APF).<br /><br />The curriculum combined didactic education with a week-long inpatient rotation on an Addiction Medicine Consult Service staffed by addiction-trained physicians and APPs. Topics included addiction neurobiology, medications for OUD (MOUD), harm reduction, and stigma reduction. The program was evaluated using mixed methods: a retrospective post-then-pre survey and nine semi-structured interviews, analyzed within the Kirkpatrick framework.<br /><br />Results showed strong feasibility and high learner acceptability. Thirteen APFs completed surveys and nine participated in interviews. Participants reported meaningful growth in confidence related to substance use history-taking, OUD diagnosis, harm reduction counseling, and understanding the consult service. Qualitative themes emphasized that direct patient interaction was especially powerful: listening to patients’ stories, witnessing nonjudgmental communication, and observing effective rapport-building helped learners confront implicit biases and reframe how they approached OUD care. However, readiness to independently manage MOUD varied, suggesting that additional practice may be needed for full clinical confidence.<br /><br />Overall, the training was seen as transformative and relevant, with fellows recommending that the rotation be extended from one to two weeks to better support durable learning and integration into practice. The findings suggest that structured, patient-centered addiction medicine exposure within APP fellowships is a scalable strategy to expand the OUD care workforce and normalize addiction treatment across medical settings.

Asset Subtitle

Erin A. Szemak

Meta Tag

Author List Angela Keniston, Catherine Callister, Elizabeth McWilliams, Erin A. Szemak, Haley Briggs, PA-C, Lauren McBeth, Sarah E. Mann

Category Innovations

Concept Opioid Epidemic

Concept Addiction Medicine Training

Concept Opioid Use Disorder

Concept Advanced Practice Provider

Concept Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of Colorado Anschutz - Division of Hospital Medicine

Presenting Author Erin A. Szemak

Track Education

Keywords

opioid use disorder

advanced practice providers

addiction medicine training

hospital medicine fellowship

medications for OUD

harm reduction

stigma reduction

clinical confidence

patient-centered care

workforce expansion

Opioid Epidemic

Addiction Medicine Training

Opioid Use Disorder

Advanced Practice Provider

Medication for Opioid Use Disorder