Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first responders
As the opioid overdose epidemic persists in the United States, it is important to provide specific first responder-oriented continuing education opportunities on interacting with, treating, and assessing individuals who overdose or who have Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This research brief describes th...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221133552200345X |
| _version_ | 1811190753351696384 |
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| author | Alexander P. Oliver Zachary W. Adams Carol A. Ott Jon Agley |
| author_facet | Alexander P. Oliver Zachary W. Adams Carol A. Ott Jon Agley |
| author_sort | Alexander P. Oliver |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As the opioid overdose epidemic persists in the United States, it is important to provide specific first responder-oriented continuing education opportunities on interacting with, treating, and assessing individuals who overdose or who have Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This research brief describes the first Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) program focused on first responders and opioids, including the content covered and concomitant popularity and the registrants’ objective knowledge and attitudes about opioids. Participation in the ‘First Responders and Opioids ECHO’ was free with no attendance requirements. Data include secondary assessment and description of the 9-session curriculum developed to address first responders’ continuing education needs on OUD and overdose as well as objective knowledge and attitudes collected at program registration and granular attendance data by topic. Of 158 registrants, 102 attended at least one program session, with participants attending an average of 3.26 sessions (SD = 2.62). Registrants reported mixed knowledge levels, but even among this voluntary cohort of early adopters, objective knowledge about OUD and best-practice overdose response was only moderate. Registrants generally displayed non-stigmatizing and affirming attitudes and beliefs (e.g., substance use disorder is a treatable illness [M = 1.56, SD = 0.73]), with somewhat less agreement with items focused on harm reduction and medication-based treatment. A plausible case can be made that there is a need for evidence-based continuing education on opioids for first responders and related professionals. A motivated cohort of registrants displayed moderate but inconsistent knowledge and generally favorable attitudes. We encourage further systematic process and outcomes research on this topic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:55:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fda4e74dbdf145b2bbefce43997a06bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T14:55:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-fda4e74dbdf145b2bbefce43997a06bb2022-12-22T04:17:17ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552022-12-0130102038Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first respondersAlexander P. Oliver0Zachary W. Adams1Carol A. Ott2Jon Agley3Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 410 W 10th St., Suite 2000, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USADepartment of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 410 W 10th St., Suite 2000, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 420 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, USA.Department of Pharmacy Practice, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USADepartment of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, 1025 E 7th St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USAAs the opioid overdose epidemic persists in the United States, it is important to provide specific first responder-oriented continuing education opportunities on interacting with, treating, and assessing individuals who overdose or who have Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This research brief describes the first Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) program focused on first responders and opioids, including the content covered and concomitant popularity and the registrants’ objective knowledge and attitudes about opioids. Participation in the ‘First Responders and Opioids ECHO’ was free with no attendance requirements. Data include secondary assessment and description of the 9-session curriculum developed to address first responders’ continuing education needs on OUD and overdose as well as objective knowledge and attitudes collected at program registration and granular attendance data by topic. Of 158 registrants, 102 attended at least one program session, with participants attending an average of 3.26 sessions (SD = 2.62). Registrants reported mixed knowledge levels, but even among this voluntary cohort of early adopters, objective knowledge about OUD and best-practice overdose response was only moderate. Registrants generally displayed non-stigmatizing and affirming attitudes and beliefs (e.g., substance use disorder is a treatable illness [M = 1.56, SD = 0.73]), with somewhat less agreement with items focused on harm reduction and medication-based treatment. A plausible case can be made that there is a need for evidence-based continuing education on opioids for first responders and related professionals. A motivated cohort of registrants displayed moderate but inconsistent knowledge and generally favorable attitudes. We encourage further systematic process and outcomes research on this topic.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221133552200345XFirst responderOpioid use disorderContinuing medical educationProject ECHOAnd overdose |
| spellingShingle | Alexander P. Oliver Zachary W. Adams Carol A. Ott Jon Agley Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first responders Preventive Medicine Reports First responder Opioid use disorder Continuing medical education Project ECHO And overdose |
| title | Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first responders |
| title_full | Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first responders |
| title_fullStr | Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first responders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first responders |
| title_short | Promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field: A novel project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes program for first responders |
| title_sort | promoting best practices for managing opioid overdoses in the field a novel project extension for community healthcare outcomes program for first responders |
| topic | First responder Opioid use disorder Continuing medical education Project ECHO And overdose |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221133552200345X |
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