Assessment tools that use a combination of symptoms and signs are useful for identifying patients at risk of developing severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Most studies of these tools were not fully validated, limiting their generalizability.

Treatment of HCV in current and former IDU within a multidisciplinary DOT program can be successfully undertaken, resulting in SVR similar to those in randomized controlled trials.

Background Implementation of evidence-based approaches to the treatment of various substance use disorders is needed to tackle the existing epidemic of substance use and related harms. Most clinicians, however, lack knowledge and practical experience with these approaches. Given this deficit, the authors examined the impact of an inpatient elective in addiction medicine amongst medical trainees on addiction-related knowledge and medical management. Methods Trainees who completed an elective with a hospital-based Addiction Medicine Consult Team (AMCT) in Vancouver, Canada from May 2015–May 2016, completed a nine-item self-evaluation scale before and immediately after the elective. Results A total of 48 participants completed both pre and post AMCT elective surveys. On average, participants were 28 years old (Inter Quartile Range [IQR] = 27–29), and contributed 20 days (IQR = 13–27) of clinical service. Knowledge of addiction medicine increased significantly post elective [mean difference (MD) = 8.63, standard deviation (SD) = 18.44; P = 0.002]. The most and the least improved areas of knowledge were relapse prevention and substance use screening, respectively. Conclusions Completion of a clinical elective with a hospital-based Addiction Medicine Consult Team appears to improve medical trainees’ addiction-related knowledge. Further evaluation and expansion of addiction medicine education is warranted to develop the next generation of skilled addiction care providers.