Enhanced Skills Program: Addiction Medicine Program Goals and Objectives
The overall purpose of the Addiction Medicine Program is to train the resident to have the clinical expertise to assess and manage and treat patients with substance use issues. As a result, the physician will then be able to be a resource to the community both as a clinician but also in areas such as education and research in the field of addiction medicine.
Medical Expert:
1. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of a patient with suspected substance use disorder(s), including:
Take a complete alcohol and drug history
Assess for co-morbid psychiatric conditions
Identify medical complications of substance dependence, including gastrointestinal, neurological and infectious complications.
Identify psychosocial problems that may affect treatment and recovery
Order laboratory investigations to confirm substance abuse
Diagnose substance use and substance-induced disorders using DSM-IV criteria
Develop a comprehensive management plan addressing treatment of the substance use disorder and medical and psychiatric complications.
2. Provide counselling for an individual using motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy
3. Provide both outpatient and inpatient medical management of withdrawal syndromes
4. Provide evidence-based care in the use of opioids for chronic pain
5. Initiate appropriate pharmacotherapy for alcohol/drug dependence when indicated
6. Initiate and provide ongoing care for patients on opioid agonist maintenance therapy (methadone, buprenorphine).
7. Provide prenatal care for pregnant patients with substance use disorders
Communicator:
1. Comfortable establishing professional relationships with patients with addictions
2. Competent in the use of motivational interviewing techniques in the management of patients with addictions
3. Familiar with short-term counselling approaches in the treatment of patients with addictions
Collaborator:
1. Function effectively in a multidisciplinary team to provide high quality care to individuals with substance use disorders
Leader:
1. Be familiar with a wide range of local addiction resources including withdrawal management centres, treatment programs, specialized assessment and treatment centres, self-help groups
Health Advocate:
1. Able to provide specialized addiction consultations to local health providers both within the hospital and the local community
2. Advocate for those with substance use disorders within the health care system as well as for their needs within the community
Scholar:
1. Provide bedside and formal teaching to other physicians and students in the field of addiction medicine
2. Be familiar with salient research in the field of addiction medicine and to keep up to date with new information
Professional:
1. Committed to giving the best treatment and treating the patients with good ethical practice to a population that often can be difficult to manage and resistant to change
