Web-based SBIRT skills training for health professional students and primary care providers

The authors have developed and assessed 2 innovative, case-based, interactive training programs on substance abuse, one for health professional students on alcohol and one for primary care providers on screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). Both programs build skills in substance abuse SBIRT. Real-world effectiveness trials involving medical students (n = 10) and nursing students (n = 60) were completed; trials involving primary care providers (n = 65) are in progress during 2011. Medical students and nursing students had similarly low baseline scores on assessments that benefited from training: knowledge, confidence, and clinical performance measured via an online standardized patient case and encounter note all improved post-training. Preliminary results indicate that practicing providers improved on knowledge, attitude, and brief intervention skill performance after a similar training. Results suggest that SBIRT skills can be improved with this model for case-based interactive training programs, and thus, that this training has the potential to impact patient outcomes.