1603 - Assessing Knowledge Gaps in Buprenorphine Use for Opioid Use Disorder Among PM&R Residents at a Single Institution

Objectives: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians frequently manage complex pain and encounter patients with or at risk for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). While buprenorphine is a first-line treatment for OUD, the preparedness and perceived educational needs of PM&R residents regarding its use are not well understood. Additionally, ACGME core requirements requires education on pain management, including substance use disorder. This study aimed to assess baseline knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to buprenorphine education among PM&R residents at a single academic institution.

Design: A cross-sectional survey was administered to PM&R residents (n=13) across postgraduate years (PGY) 2 through 4 at a single institution. A total of 11 responses were recorded. The survey collected data on self-assessed confidence in prescribing buprenorphine, attitudes towards treating OUD, and barriers to learning and implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the baseline data.

Results: A significant gap was identified between residents' professional motivation and their clinical confidence. Majority of residents agreed that managing OUD is within PM&R scope of practice (72.7%) and reported being motivated to learn more about addiction medicine (81.8%). However, there was a lack of confidence in practical skills, with 72.7% of residents disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that they understood the required steps for initiating buprenorphine. The most frequently cited barriers to learning were lack of formal education (72.7%) and lack of clinical exposure (72.7%)

Conclusions: PM&R residents are willing and motivated to treat patients with OUD that contrasts sharply with low self-assessed confidence and reported lack of knowledge. These findings suggests a need for a structured educational curriculum designed to bridge this gap. A targeted educational session is currently in development to address this gap and improve the clinical readiness of PM&R physicians on the front lines of pain management. Overall generalizability is limited due to the small sample size at a single institution.