Retention of Knowledge After Opioid Education in Surgical Interns

Abstract

Background In many academic centers, opioid prescribing is managed primarily by residents with little or no formal opioid education. The present study evaluates intern knowledge and comfort with appropriate opioid prescribing 7 months after an organized opioid education effort. Materials and Methods A repeat knowledge and attitude survey was sent to surgical interns who had completed an initial opioid education training session 7 months before the study. Results were compared to post-education assessment results in the same cohort. Setting 16 general surgery and podiatric surgery interns at a single academic medical center. Results The mean percentage of correct answers on follow-up was 67.6% identical to the average post-session score of 67.6%. Interns reported comfort with opioid prescribing increased to a mean score of 5.9 (out of 10) on follow-up compared to post-session score of 5.19. Conclusions Surgical interns have significant gaps in knowledge for optimal prescribing and management of opioid prescriptions. Targeted education demonstrates significant and lasting improvement in opioid assessment scores, but there remains room for improvement.