Teaching Faculty about Substance Abuse: Evaluating Clinical Competence and Professional Development

Abstract

This report describes the evaluation of a faculty development program implemented to address the deficit in physicians’ clinical and teaching competence regarding substance abuse. Participants in the university hospital program included faculty fellows from five departments. Annual, random chart audits assessed changes in rates of substance use documentation by residents supervised and not supervised by the fellows. Paired t tests assessed changes in fellows’ knowledge. The report includes results from the fellows’ program evaluations, interviews, and professional development, including publications, funding, research activities, and presentations. Charting of alcohol use by residents supervised by a faculty fellow improved significantly. Fellows also showed marked increases in knowledge and professional development. A longitudinal, interactive faculty development program is a viable means of increasing clinical and teaching skills. The required comprehensive evaluation is achieved through the use of multidimensional methods described above.