Translating Research into Practice on Alcohol and Polysubstance Use Disorders by Educating the Interprofessional Primary Care Team

Project Summary/Abstract Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are common in the United States (SAMHSA, 2022), yet primary care providers often overlook these conditions in patients seen for routine visits; even when identified, referral to treatment and appropriate interventions do not always follow (Isaacson and Schorling, 1999). Despite the existence of effective and evidence-based interventions for addressing AUD, there is an apparent research-practice gap of these within the primary care setting (Rehm, et al., 2016), with many PCPs reporting low levels of preparedness to deal with SUDs, including AUD and polysubstance use disorders, although these disorders have the potential to cause significant and lifelong health impacts (Shapiro and McCance, 2013). Effective continuing education programs are needed to support providers in implementing the evidence base on AUD into practice. To address these gaps, Moses/Weitzman Health System and its Weitzman Institute propose the Translating Research into Practice on Alcohol and Polysubstance Use Disorders by Educating the Interprofessional Primary Care Team project. The overall goals of this project are to 1) improve the capacity of primary care medical providers and behavioral health providers in federally qualified health centers and other safety net primary care settings across the United States to apply best practices derived from the current science in the prevention, screening, and treatment of AUD and polysubstance use disorder into practice and 2) enhance this audience's interest and engagement in foundational and emerging scientific literature related to AUD and polysubstance use disorders. The proposed project will develop, implement, and evaluate three complementary, virtual continuing education strategies: 1) two, 16-session cohorts of Project ECHO Alcohol Use Disorder, 2) 12, one-hour Science to Practice sessions adapting a virtual journal club module, and 3) nine on-demand eLearning modules offering self-paced education in 15-30 minute increments. In addition, the project will convene an Alcohol Use Disorder in Primary Care Advisory Council of 10 representatives including multidisciplinary leaders and clinicians from the target audience, individuals with lived experience in recovery from AUD, and experts in AUD research to discuss current best practices, challenges, and solutions to address AUD and polysubstance use disorder in primary care and inform the project. These efforts are anticipated to educate 670 providers, improve their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-efficacy, and increase their interest and engagement in the scientific literature. The simultaneous evaluation activities are anticipated to develop and advance best practices in utilizing the selected virtual education modalities to both achieve and sustain outcomes and translate the science on AUD and polysubstance use disorders into primary care practice.