Safe and competent opioid prescribing education: Increasing dissemination with a train-the-trainer program. Issue 2 (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zisblatt, Lara; Hayes, Sean M.; Lazure, Patrice; Hardesty, Ilana; White, Julie L.; Alford, Daniel P.
• Is Part Of: Substance abuse. Volume 38:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 168
• Page End: 176
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: Chronic pain -- continuing education -- opioid medications -- train-the-trainer programs; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Medical education -- Periodicals; Education, Medical -- periodicals; Substance Abuse -- periodicals; 362.29
• DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2016.1275927
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0889-7077

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background : Due to the high prevalence of prescription opioid misuse, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requiring manufacturers of extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) opioids to fund continuing education based on an FDA curricular Blueprint. This paper describes the Safe and Competent Opioid Prescribing Education ( SCOPE of Pain ) train-the-trainer program and its impact on (1) disseminating the SCOPE of Pain curriculum and (2) knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and performance of the participants of trainer-led compared with expert-led meetings. Methods: SCOPE of Pain is a 3-hour ER/LA opioid REMS education. In addition to expert-led live statewide meetings, a 2-hour train-the-trainer (TTT) workshop was developed to increase dissemination nationally. The trainers were expected to conduct SCOPE of Pain meetings at their institutions. Participants of both the trainer-led and expert-led SCOPE of Pain programs were surveyed immediately post and 2 months post meetings to assess improvements in knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and self-reported safe opioid prescribing practices. Results : During 9 months (May 2013 to February 2014), 89 trainers were trained during 9 TTT workshops in 9 states. Over 24 months (May 2013 to April 2015), 33% of the trainers conducted at least 1 SCOPE of Pain training, with a total of 79 meetings that educated 1419 participants. The average number of meetings of those who conducted at least 1 meeting was 2.8 (range: 1–19). The participants of the trainer-led programs were significantly more likely to be practicing in rural settings than those who participated in the expert-led meetings (39% vs. 26%, P < .001). At 2 months post training, there were no significant differences in improvements in participant knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and performance between expert-led and trainer-led meetings. Conclusions : The SCOPE of Pain TTT program holds promise as an effective dissemination strategy to increase guideline-based safe opioid prescribing knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and self-reported practices.