Curriculum Resources Overview

Introducing the NIDA CoEs Medical School and Residency Program Curriculum Resources on Drug Abuse and Addiction

The NIDA CoE curriculum resources provide accurate information about substance abuse, addiction, its consequences, and treatment in a variety of formats that can be incorporated into existing curricula. Currently, the NIDA CoE curriculum resources for medical students and resident physicians include:

Topic Areas: Prescription drug abuse, methamphetamine abuse, and general substance use disorders.

Formats: Lectures, problem- and case-based studies, a faculty workshop, and a Web module. In addition, an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) will be ready in early 2010.

Target Populations: Medical students years 1-4, resident physicians, and medical school faculty.

The NIDA CoE curriculum resources are rooted in the competencies recommended for physicians by professional medical organizations including the American Medical Association, Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the President's Leadership Conference on Medical Education in Substance Abuse report. The NIDA CoE curriculum resources also adhere to the six general competency domains issued by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as part of its Outcome Project (Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Practice-based Learning and Improvement, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Professionalism, and Systems-based Practice) and, in particular, by the ACGME's residency education requirements for addiction psychiatry.

Brief Descriptions of Curriculum Resources

Curriculum resource titles link to brief descriptions of each curriculum resource. In addition, the brief overview is provided on a printable card.

Boston University School of Medicine
	Prescription Drug Abuse: An Introduction Description of Curriculum Resource: PDF HTML

Drexel University College of Medicine/The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
	The Clinical Assessment of Substance Use Disorders Description of Curriculum Resource: PDF HTML

Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance
	A Faculty Development Workshop for Primary Care Preceptors: Helping Your Residents Care for Patients Requesting Opioids for Chronic Pain Description of Curriculum Resource: PDF HTML

University of Massachusetts Medical School
	Preventing and Detecting the Misuse of Prescription Opioids in Patients With Chronic Nonmalignant Pain Description of Curriculum Resource: PDF HTML

Tufts University School of Medicine
	A Problem-Based Learning Case on Prescription Drug Abuse - Patient S.K. Description of Curriculum Resource: PDF HTML

University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
	Patient-Centered Learning: Substance Abuse in a Physician - The Connor Johnson Case Description of Curriculum Resource: PDF HTML

Creighton University School of Medicine
	Two Problem-Based Learning Cases: Methamphetamine Description of Curriculum Resource: PDF HTML

Additional NIDAMED Resources for Potential Use in Medical School Settings

The NIDAMED Web site (www.drugabuse.gov/nidamed) includes tools and resources to assist practicing physicians in screening their patients for drug use. These materials may also be incorporated into medical school curricula to teach students about drug abuse screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment.

NIDA-Modified Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (NM-ASSIST).
This Web-based interactive tool (adapted from the ASSIST Questionnaire Version 3.0 developed and published by the World Health Organization) guides clinicians through a series of screening questions and, based on the patient's responses, generates a substance involvement score that suggests the level of intervention needed.

NM-ASSIST Clinician's Resource Guide.
This resource guide supplements the NIDA-Modified ASSIST. It outlines the rationale for screening, special considerations for implementation, and detailed instructions on conducting the screen and next steps.

NM-ASSIST Quick Reference Guide.
Designed to fit in a coat pocket, this guide provides an abbreviated "snapshot" of the tool and instructions for its use.

Patient Postcard.
A complement to the physician screening materials, this patient-tested postcard is designed to encourage patients to discuss any and all drug use with their doctors to help ensure proper medical care.