Improvement in Residents' Attitudes Toward Individuals with Substance Use Disorders Following an Online Training...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Negative attitudes among resident physicians toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent.
• These negative attitudes can adversely affect patient engagement, treatment adherence, and overall health outcomes.
• Despite adequate perceived knowledge, residents' attitudes toward SUD patients require intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an online training module on resident physicians' attitudes toward individuals with SUDs.
• To determine if educational intervention can improve attitudes specifically toward alcohol and opioid use disorders.
• To test the hypothesis that targeted online education enhances resident physicians' perceptions of SUD patients.

Main Methods:

• A web-based questionnaire, including the Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS), was administered to internal medicine and psychiatry residents.
• Residents completed the MCRS before and six months after participating in an online training module focused on SUD stigma.
• Demographic data were collected to analyze potential influencing factors on attitude changes.

Main Results:

• Attitudes toward individuals with SUDs showed significant improvement six months post-intervention, as indicated by increased MCRS scores.
• A total of 46 residents completed the baseline survey, with 29 completing the six-month follow-up.
• The online training module demonstrated a positive effect on resident physicians' attitudes regarding SUDs.

Conclusions:

• Online training modules can effectively improve resident physicians' attitudes toward individuals with SUDs.
• This finding is significant given that attitudes often decline during residency and negatively impact patient care.
• Further research is recommended to explore the long-term effects and applicability to other clinician groups and patient outcomes.