Faculty education in addiction training (FEAT): Evaluating an online training program for multidisciplinary health...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Addiction Medicine
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Health professionals often lack sufficient training to manage alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues.
• Previous in-person faculty training programs were successful.
• A brief online Faculty Education in Addiction Training (FEAT) Program was developed for social work and internal medicine faculty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine changes in AOD knowledge among faculty participants.
• To assess changes in teaching confidence and preparedness related to AOD issues.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the online FEAT Program.

Main Methods:

• A pilot test of the FEAT Program was conducted.
• The curriculum included didactic videos, expert engagement, readings, and a virtual classroom.
• Participants completed pre- and post-program self-assessments of knowledge and teaching confidence/preparedness.

Main Results:

• Thirty faculty (15 social work, 15 internal medicine) completed the program.
• Both groups showed significant improvements in AOD knowledge (p < 0.001) with large effect sizes.
• Significant increases in teaching confidence and preparedness were observed in both groups (p < 0.001) with large effect sizes.

Conclusions:

• The brief online FEAT Program effectively enhances AOD knowledge for multidisciplinary educators.
• Participation in the FEAT Program significantly boosts faculty's confidence and preparedness in teaching addiction topics.
• Online training offers a viable solution to overcome logistical and financial barriers of in-person faculty development programs.