Evaluation of a faculty development program in substance abuse education

Abstract

To determine whether a faculty development program was effective in increasing clinical skills and the amount of substance abuse teaching of individual general medical faculty. Program participants were evaluated with a structured assessment before and several months after participating in a faculty development program in substance abuse education. Eighty percent were general internal medicine faculty, who on average devoted 25% of their time to teaching. The remainder of the participants were family medicine, psychiatry, or other internal medicine faculty and nonphysician teachers. The participants attended a learner-centered, largely experiential faculty development program in substance abuse education to improve their clinical and teaching skills relevant to substance abuse among patients in the general medical setting. Eighty-six percent of the participants completed the evaluation. The participants reported increased confidence in their clinical skills in recognizing substance abuse, presenting the problem to the patient, and referring the patient for treatment. The participants also reported improved attitudes toward patients and increased teaching about the management of the primary problem of substance abuse, but not at the expense of teaching about medical complications. Clinically oriented, interactive faculty development courses in substance abuse education can contribute to increased confidence in clinical skills in substance abuse as well as teaching about substance abuse.