A qualitative analysis of internal medicine residents' experience with substance use disorder education and training: a pilot study

Background Lack of education and training on caring for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) is common among healthcare providers, often resulting in clinicians feeling unprepared to treat patients with SUD. Objectives This study explored resident physicians' experiences with SUD education throughout medical school and residency and qualitatively evaluated whether a SUD initiative improved resident's knowledge and efficacy of treating various SUDs. Methods We implemented a brief (seven hours total) educational initiative focused on treating SUDs virtually over the course of an academic year for residents enrolled in the University of Southern California Internal Medicine Residency program. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents after completion of the initiative. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify common themes that emerged from the qualitative data. Results Every resident noted receiving insufficient training for the treatment of SUDs prior to the initiative. The initiative was viewed favorably, and participants particularly appreciated having an introduction to prescribing medication for the treatment of SUD such as buprenorphine. Despite the perceived success of the initiative in increasing awareness of treatment modalities for SUD, residents expressed a lack of comfort in handling SUD cases and desired additional practical lectures and application of knowledge through increased experiential training. Conclusions SUD education and training appears to be a useful constituent of resident training and should be included in the standard curriculum and rotations. Residency programs should consider including formal education, hands-on practice, and providing adequate resources for residents to develop their capabilities to care for patients with SUD.