Exploring Current Trends and Barriers in Integrating Substance Use Disorder Education Into the Physician...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Substance Use Disorder (SUD) training in US Physician Assistant (PA) programs has not been updated since 2001.
• Current educational standards and clinical needs necessitate an updated evaluation of SUD curricula.
• Identifying barriers to effective SUD education is crucial for improving PA training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current state of SUD training curricula in Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)-accredited PA programs.
• To identify challenges hindering the implementation of comprehensive SUD education within PA programs.
• To provide data for enhancing future PA education in SUD.

Main Methods:

• An 18-item web-based survey was distributed to 208 ARC-PA-accredited PA programs from April to October 2023.
• The survey collected data on SUD education delivery during the 2021-2022 academic year.
• Data analysis focused on curriculum requirements, hours dedicated to SUD, and delivery formats.

Main Results:

• A total of 33 PA programs responded to the survey.
• Over 93% of surveyed PA programs mandate SUD education in their didactic curriculum.
• Significant variation exists in the mean hours (10.5 ± 11.7) and format of didactic SUD training. Only 39.4% of programs offered dedicated SUD training during clinical clerkships, citing a lack of clinical sites, qualified preceptors, and program prioritization as key barriers.

Conclusions:

• While most PA programs incorporate didactic SUD education, substantial variability exists in content and duration.
• Limited provision of SUD training during clinical clerkships highlights critical challenges in clinical site availability, preceptor qualifications, and curriculum prioritization.
• Further efforts are needed to standardize and strengthen SUD education within PA programs, particularly in clinical settings.