NEOMED receives state funding to lead primary care statewide AUD/SUD training
In the recently approved state budget, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) received $250,000 each fiscal year to support statewide continuing education and training on the identification and treatment of alcohol and other substance-use disorders with FDA-approved medications and supportive services developed in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
NEOMED has established an excellent track record in training for SUD. It held 280 one-hour learning sessions from 2018-2021. It trained 815 clinicians including physicians, social workers, psychologists, health managers and support staff from 37 of Ohio’s 88 counties. 85% of participants reported the sessions changed their practice and their approach to patients, and 100% stated the ECHOs were extremely or very helpful to their practice.
With leadership from Dr. Stacey Gardner-Buckshaw and Kay Seibert in medical education, and Dr. John Boltri and Dr. Elizabeth Whipkey at NEOMED Health Care, NEOMED is building an integrated education, care and training continuum across all years of medical education. So far, 80.65% of medical students agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that they expect the training to benefit themselves and/or their community. All students who felt the training was applicable (84.62%) expect that the training will improve their ability to work effectively. And most students (75.86%) would recommend the training to a friend or colleague.
“[MAT Training] helped me learn skills to help patients with substance abuse.”
“I know appropriate use of MAT, when it should be initiated, how to initiate it, dosing, contraindications, and more. I feel much better about treating OUD due to this training.”
Ohio AUD/SUD Data
In Ohio, 490,000 Ohioans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD) compared to 134,000 that have opioid use disorder. Unfortunately, only 5.7% of the Ohioans with AUD get treatment. Nationally, only 1% of people with AUD received MAT in the past year1. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the already high rates of alcohol use disorders and related consequences. Alcohol involved deaths in Ohio have nearly doubled since 19992. During the pandemic, alcohol-related deaths increased approximately 25% between 2019 and 20203. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found a 14% increase in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2020 compared to 20194.
Significant investment has been made in training of health care providers to identify and treat opioid use disorders. Given the prevalence of AUD and increase in public health and safety consequences, a concerted effort needs to be made to train and educate health care providers in how to identify AUD in all settings of care and initiate treatment with FDA-approved medications in conjunction with psychosocial and recovery supports.
1. SAMHSA 2018-2019 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health: Model-based Estimated Totals, Pages 18, 19; 42-45 Accessed August 11, 2021 at: Source.
2. “Tobacco, alcohol, and health series: Health impacts of excessive alcohol use in Ohio,” Health Policy Institute of Ohio, 2021.
3. JAMA Network Open, Substance Use and Addiction Sept. 29th, 2020, “Changes in Adult Alcohol Use Consequences,” Source.
4. Stewart, T. (2022, March). Overview of motor vehicle crashes in 2020 (Report No. DOT HS 813 266). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.