Management of Adolescents With OUD: A Simulation Case for Subspecialty Trainees in Addiction Medicine and Addiction Psychiatry

Introduction The opioid epidemic impacts all ages, yet few published medical education curricula exist to train physicians on how to care for opioid use disorder (OUD) in adolescents, a developmental stage where confidentiality protection is appropriate and contributes to quality health care. We developed a simulation-based educational intervention to increase addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry trainees’ confidence in managing adolescents with OUD. Methods Trainees completed a confidence survey and viewed an educational video covering state-specific confidentiality laws pertinent to treating adolescents with OUD. One week later, trainees participated in a simulated encounter where they described the scope of confidentiality to a trained actor, used the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale to assess symptoms of opioid withdrawal, and explained adolescent-specific OUD medication treatment options. Immediately afterward, trainees completed a self-reflection and satisfaction survey and participated in a debriefing session with a faculty member where they identified learning goals. One month later, they completed the confidence survey to quantify changes in confidence. Results Thirty-five fellows (21 male, 14 female) completed the simulation-based educational intervention between 2016 and 2019. When asked to answer yes or no, 96% of participants described the exercise as effective and 100% (n = 26) would recommend it to peers. In addition, learners identified future learning goals, including researching specific topics and seeking out additional opportunities to evaluate adolescents with OUD. Discussion Based on our participants’ report, this simulation-based educational intervention is an effective teaching method for increasing trainee confidence in managing adolescents with OUD.