Prescription Overdose Prevention through Pre-Professional Education and Discussion: A Health Education Approach to the Opioid Epidemic

Authors

Brandon Horvath, MPHc, BS, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Rosemary Frasso, PhD, MSc, CPH, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

3-23-2018

Comments

Presentation: 5:21

Abstract

As the rates of prescription overdose continue to pose a number of public health concerns, the development of interventions to address both gaps in knowledge and awareness is essential. Professional education programs have been successful in conveying pertinent information to target populations about other key issues in clinical and community settings (e.g., Alzheimer’s and dementia), providing a framework from which future modules can be created. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Prescription Overdose Prevention through Pre-Professional Education & Discussion (POPPED) Curriculum in increasing awareness about the opioid epidemic and initiatives at the local, state and federal levels. Data was collected via a pre-post survey design. At baseline, participating students were asked to reflect on their levels of awareness and familiarity with opioids and related legislation. After viewing the curriculum, students completed a post-test with similar questions to that of the pre-test. De-identified responses were collected for both assessments to analyze changes in the group mean scores (+/- level of knowledge) for each question. All participants (N= 56) were health professions students enrolled in programs at Thomas Jefferson University. A total of 4 participants (7.1%) were lost to follow-up from pre to post-test. The group mean scores for each of the assessment questions reflected an increase in both knowledge and awareness about the opioid epidemic and the local, state and federal initiatives associated with combating against it. Analysis using the independent samples t-test found the change in group mean scores between pre and post to be statistically significant (t = 3.07, p = 0.0056). These findings demonstrate the benefits of pre-professional education curricula serving as instructional tools and supplementary education for students. Additional pilot studies and review of the POPPED curriculum will be required before disseminating and implementing the materials on a larger scale.

Recommended Citation

Horvath, MPHc, BS, Brandon and Frasso, PhD, MSc, CPH, Rosemary, "Prescription Overdose Prevention through Pre-Professional Education and Discussion: A Health Education Approach to the Opioid Epidemic" (2018). Master of Public Health Capstone Presentations. Presentation 249.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/mphcapstone_presentation/249

Language

English