Substance Use Disorder Education in Physical Therapy Curricula

To describe current substance use disorder (SUD) curricula approaches (e.g., SUD content, assessment) in accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in the United States. In addition, faculty expertise and perceptions regarding integrating SUD content in curricula were explored.

An 18-item survey was emailed to DPT program directors, who were requested to complete it themselves or forward it to another faculty member. Data about SUD curricular content, barriers to implementation, faculty expertise, and demographics were collected. Data characterizing how SUD content was taught in the curriculum and faculty expertise and attitudes were summarized using frequencies and percentages.

Thirty-four (14%) of 242 accredited DPT programs participated in the study. Twenty-seven (79%) of the respondents were program directors. All programs (n=34) addressed SUDs, but the delivery of SUD content and hours devoted were varied. Signs and symptoms of SUD were most often discussed (88%), whereas a brief negotiated interview was least likely to be addressed (18%).

SUD curricular content in DPT programs may need to be more substantial. To prepare entry-level practitioners, evidence-based SUD assessment and curricular guidelines could be integrated into academic programs.