Virginia Research Day 2021

Student Research Biomedical

05 Providing Naloxone Training to First-Year Medical Students: A Work in Progress

Hannah DePoy; Ami Shah; Hunter Funk; Katlyn Logsdon; Jessica Higgins; Dr. Theresa McCann Corresponding author: Ashah01@vt.vcom.edu

Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Virginia Campus

Introduction. In order to curb the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States, a growing emphasis is being placed on the distribution and use of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses. Not only must student doctors be competent in naloxone administration and ready to act in an overdose setting, but they should also be the recipients of, and future advocates for, de-stigmatization efforts. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, “REVIVE! Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education,” a program through the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, is the standard for naloxone training. This training contains basic medical and legal information related to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and overdose intervention. During the 2020-2021 academic year, a student-led initiative on the VCOM-VA campus is encouraging all first-year students to participate in REVIVE! Training in order to introduce first-year medical students to OUD and overdose prevention efforts early in their careers. As an adjunct, this

Outcomes. To date, 50 first-year students have participated in naloxone training with another 100-120 slated to be trained by year’s end. Approximately half of participating students have completed pre- and post-training surveys. By using pre- and post-training surveys to evaluate the effects of naloxone training on first-year medical students’ competence, readiness, concerns, and stigma, this research can help highlight the importance of incorporating naloxone training in first-year medical education. Increases in OUD and overdose during the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic further necessitate the importance and impacts of naloxone training. Critical recommendations collected from this analysis will be widely disseminated to advocate for evidence-based inclusion of naloxone training to medical schools nationwide, promoting a future generation of knowledgeable, compassionate physicians who are prepared to tackle the opioid epidemic.

voluntary, survey-based research will assess the impacts of REVIVE! Training on first-year students by evaluating four domains: competence (self-perceived ability to handle an overdose), readiness (willingness to intervene in an overdose situation), concerns (concerns about dealing with an overdose), and stigma (towards individuals with OUD). The overall aim is to advocate for inclusion of naloxone training as part of first-year medical school curriculums in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Approach. This survey-based research utilizes modified versions of previously validated scales, the Opioid Overdose Attitudes Scale (OOAS) and the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Healthcare Providers (OMS-HC), to assess the impact of naloxone training on the aforementioned domains. First year medical students (n=180) participating in naloxone trainings may voluntarily complete pre- and post-naloxone training surveys.

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