Responding to the Opioid Epidemic: Educational Competencies for Pain and Substance Use Disorder from the Medical Schools of the University of California

Abstract

Objective The University of California (UC) leadership sought to develop a robust educational response to the epidemic of opioid-related deaths. Because the contributors to this current crisis are multifactorial, a comprehensive response requires educating future physicians about safe and effective management of pain, safer opioid prescribing, and identification and treatment of substance use disorder (SUD). Methods The six UC medical schools appointed an opioid crisis workgroup to develop educational strategies and a coordinated response to the opioid epidemic. The workgroup had diverse specialty and disciplinary representation. This workgroup focused on developing a foundational set of educational competencies for adoption across all UC medical schools that address pain, SUD, and public health concerns related to the opioid crisis. Results The UC pain and SUD competencies were either newly created or adapted from existing competencies that addressed pain, SUD, and opioid and other prescription drug misuse. The final competencies covered three domains: pain, SUD, and public health issues related to the opioid crisis. Conclusions The authors present a novel set of educational competencies as a response to the opioid crisis. These competencies emphasize the subject areas that are fundamental to the opioid crisis: pain management, the safe use of opioids, and understanding and treating SUD.

Roadmap for Trauma-Informed Medical Education: Introducing an Essential Competency Set

“…These areas include geriatrics, 31 quality improvement and patient safety, 32 sexual and gender minority health, 33 sexual health, 34 and substance use disorder. 35 In addition, in 2022, the AAMC released a new set of diversity, equity, and inclusion competencies for implementation across the learning continuum. 36…”

“…These areas include geriatrics, 31 quality improvement and patient safety, 32 sexual and gender minority health, 33 sexual health, 34 and substance use disorder. 35 In addition, in 2022, the AAMC released a new set of diversity, equity, and inclusion competencies for implementation across the learning continuum. 36 The task force drafted competencies focused on student acquisition of the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to engage in trauma-informed, healingcentered, equitable interactions, as well as self-and collective care.…”

The Pain Medicine Curriculum Framework-structured integration of pain medicine education into the medical curriculum

“…A workgroup from the University of California was tasked to develop a set of core educational competencies to address pain, substance overuse disorder and safer opioid prescribing for adoption across the six medical schools in the academic health system ( 130 ). The final set of University of California pain and substance use disorder competencies was compiled in 2019 ( 130 ). Both medication management and nonpharmacological strategies to address pain and substance overuse disorder were included.…”

Assessing Student Readiness to Work with People Who Use Drugs: Development of a Multi-disciplinary Addiction Educational Survey

“…We developed an initial pool of key ideas related to addiction attitudes or competencies through a literature review including validated and unvalidated measures and published competency guidelines. 52,53 Team members iteratively discussed these ideas, developed items, refined phrasing, clarified wording, and ensured item relevance and non-redundancy. Each attitude item described a belief about substance use, PWUDs, or SUD treatment, and was intended to address a belief that was both prevalent among health professions students and might negatively affect care of PWUDs.…”