BU School of Medicine receives grant to expand education on opioid use disorder treatment

The Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Center for Continuing Education (BU CCE) recently received a two-year, $400,000 grant from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine to create continuing education programs to increase the number of physicians and advanced practice providers that incorporate treatment for opioid use disorders (OUD) into their primary care practices.

Led by Daniel Alford, MD, MPH, a national expert in addiction medicine, primary care and medical education, BU CCE has 15 years of experience offering addiction and safer opioid prescribing education to healthcare professionals (HCP) around the country.

Despite the extremely strong evidence on the effectiveness of medications for treating patients with opioid use disorders, many primary care professionals remain hesitant to treat OUD in practice due to a variety of perceived barriers and misconceptions. Yet treating OUD is incredibly meaningful and rewarding for clinicians given the significant impact it can have on their patients' lives."

Daniel Alford, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and associate dean of BU CCE

While the funding will address healthcare professionals (HCPs) knowledge gaps, it will also promote attitudinal and behavior change to increase the number of HCPs offering medications to treat patients with opioid use disorder. To help dispel common clinician hesitancies and perceived challenges, BU CCE will develop a multifaceted educational activity that will feature clinician and patient testimonials, demonstration videos and promote state-specific addiction support resources. The initiative will include both an on-demand online program and live webinars to meet the varied learning needs and preferences of different learners. Programs will be offered for continuing education credits for physicians, nurses, and physician assistants, as well as American Academy of Family Physicians prescribed credit for family practitioners.

Alford and his team are experienced in building educational content around the patient experience, making complex clinical topics more accessible to learners by placing the curriculum in clinical context and amplifying patients' voices and living experiences. "We continuously assess and respond to the educational needs and goals of our program participants based on their feedback, to ensure our education and guidance remains current," says Alford, who also is a primary care physician at Boston Medical Center where he specializes in managing opioid use disorders and chronic pain.

The Board of Registration in Medicine is responsible for licensing, regulation, and discipline of Massachusetts physicians and acupuncturists.