Offers educational tools to aid in the screening, evaluation, and referral of patients with substance abuse disorders. Includes a video and facilitator's guide.
Developer: Drexel University College of Medicine and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Curriculum resource type: Didactic
Method used: Web-based videos and instructional text
Intended audience: Medical students (years 1-4), residents in primary care specialties, and practicing physicians in primary care specialties
Implementation time: 1.5-2 hours
Additional components: References; NIDA treatment guidelines
Educational objectives:
Evaluation tools: Behavior skills checklist and learner assessment questions
Curriculum resource description: Substance abuse and substance dependence are commonly seen in patients in medical practices and are frequently comorbid with other medical and psychiatric disorders. Considerable societal stigma exists toward patients with addictive disorders; healthcare providers frequently have negative attitudes toward these patients as well. The identification, assessment, and referral for treatment of patients are strongly influenced by physician attitudes and life experiences with personal, family, or prior patients' substance use. Effective tools and strategies help clinicians recognize the physiologic and behavioral red flags of addiction and elicit a substance use history in a nonjudgmental manner, so you can make the appropriate diagnosis and develop a patient-specific plan for treatment and referral.
This educational module on the clinical assessment of substance abuse disorders presents written text and instructional videos that provide the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed in the screening, evaluation, and referral of patients with substance abuse disorders.
Key words: Drug abuse; drug addiction; substance abuse; patient interviews; stage of addiction