Abstract

Screening and brief intervention in general health care settings are efficacious but have not been widely adopted. Our objective was to assess the effect of an educational intervention on clinicians' substance abuse-related clinical practices. The study was a telephone survey of practicing physicians, nurses, psychologists, physician's assistants, and social workers who attended a half-day continuing education course on one of four occasions. The course covered the stages of behavioral change and motivational counseling, using primarily role play with standardized patients. Of 87 course attendees, 70 (80%) completed the interview. Months to years after the course, most (91%) reported that the course made an impact on their practice. Most (78%) of respondents reported that they frequently or always asked new patients who drank alcohol a formal screening questionnaire such as the CAGE, and 94% frequently or always assessed their substance abusing patients' readiness to change. Most respondents reported that since taking the course they were more likely (1) to screen patients for alcohol or drug related problems (86%) and (2) to ask patients about their substance abuse on a follow-up visit (96%). After exposure to an active-learning half-day continuing education course, clinicians reported improvement with and high rates of desirable substance abuse-related clinical practices up to 5 years later. Continuing education efforts that incorporate active learning directed toward practicing clinicians show promise for improving rates of brief intervention for alcohol and other drug abuse.