Evaluation of a faculty development program in substance abuse education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Faculty Development

Background:

• General medical faculty require enhanced skills in substance abuse education.
• Effective teaching strategies for substance abuse are crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a faculty development program on clinical skills and teaching of substance abuse.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of substance abuse education for general medical faculty.

Main Methods:

• A learner-centered, experiential faculty development program was implemented.
• Participants (general internal medicine faculty and others) were assessed pre- and post-program.
• The program focused on improving clinical and teaching skills in substance abuse.

Main Results:

• Participants reported increased confidence in recognizing, presenting, and referring substance abuse cases.
• Attitudes toward patients with substance abuse improved.
• Teaching on substance abuse management increased without compromising other medical topics.

Conclusions:

• Interactive, clinically focused faculty development courses enhance substance abuse clinical skills.
• Such programs effectively increase faculty confidence and teaching related to substance abuse.