Evaluation of an Online Residency Training in Tobacco Use Disorder

Despite the overwhelming need for tobacco use disorder (TUD) treatment in behavioral health settings, few models have emerged for training psychiatry residents. One barrier may be a lack of curricula or faculty expertize in this area. The goal of this project was to develop and evaluate a 3 hour online webinar-based course for teaching psychiatry residents about TUD.

Residents from 42 participating general psychiatry residency programs were emailed a unique link to course materials. Participation was voluntary.

Two-hundred and seven residents completed the pretest measuring baseline knowledge and 199 completed the survey measuring attitudes toward treatment of tobacco use. Mean pretest scores were 53.0% correct (SD 19.6), showing low levels of baseline knowledge. Pretest knowledge scores differed by residency year, suggesting no gain in knowledge during residency training. About 80% of participants completed the entire course and posttest evaluations. Paired t tests for 150 individuals who completed both a pretest and posttest indicated a significant increase in knowledge, with a mean gain in score of 35 points.

Many residents reported feeling not well prepared to treat TUD from prior education. The vast majority (98%) felt the program enhanced their professional experience somewhat or substantially or would recommend the program to others (82%).

Online training for residents is a viable option to address knowledge deficits in TUD. (Am J Addict 2019;28:277-284).