Outcomes of an interprofessional SBIRT training program: Knowledge attainment and perceived competence for practice

Abstract

Background: One way to address substance misuse is to train health professional students in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), an early intervention strategy. This study evaluated a semester-long, 50-hour elective SBIRT training that blended online coursework with interprofessional experiences. Medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work students completed an interprofessional standardized patient experience and completed a minimum of two interprofessional SBIRT experiences at community agencies. Methods: We analyzed longitudinal data from 197 students using structural equation modeling to examine gains in knowledge and perceived competence, as well as to test if background variables predicted 30-day application of SBIRT knowledge and skills, 30-day satisfaction’ 12-month frequencies of care for performing SBIRT; and number of SBIRT clients/patients served directly. Results: Overall, student SBIRT knowledge and perceived competence both increased by more than a standard deviation during the course. Students who experienced larger gains in perceived competence rated the course significantly higher in terms of relevance and usefulness and, in turn, served significantly more SBIRT clients/patients during the following year. We did not find evidence that intra-individual growth in knowledge impacted the degree to which students ultimately applied SBIRT components. Finally, students who had more previous training and experience related to substance abuse ultimately reported greater application of SBIRT knowledge and skills. Interprofessional differences included: At baseline, medicine students had significantly lower substance abuse education knowledge as compared to the other disciplines. Pharmacy and social work students were more likely to have had previous experience with motivational interviewing. Baseline perceived competence in applying SBIRT was higher in social work and nursing. Upon completion, pharmacy and medicine students had lower satisfaction with the course. Conclusions: These findings suggest that SBIRT courses can increase knowledge and perceived competence; moreover, student background characteristics, work settings, and experiences may have important effects on learning SBIRT.

Keywords:

• SBIRT
• substance use disorders education
• interprofessional

Acknowledgements

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication (Award No. 5H79TI025942).

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, SPA, upon reasonable request.

Author contributions

SA contributed to the research conception and design, analysis, interpretation of the results, writing, and revision. GA contributed to the analysis, interpretation of the results, writing and revision. RS contributed to the research conception and design, collection of the data, analysis, interpretation of the results, writing and revision. RAV contributed to the research conception and design, interpretation of the results, writing and revision. BB contributed to the research conception and design, interpretation of the results, writing and revision. KK contributed to the analysis, interpretation of the results, writing and revision. TD contributed to the research conception and design, interpretation of the results and writing.