2021 AM Posters-Evaluation of the Care Gap in Addiction Psychiatry by Assessing

Evaluation of the Care Gap in Addiction Psychiatry by Assessing

Pdf Summary

The field of addiction psychiatry is rapidly expanding, with 54 accredited programs and 131 funded fellowship positions in the US. However, there is a significant care gap, with only 11% of the 21.1 million Americans suffering from substance abuse receiving treatment. To address this gap, the Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 is creating 1,000 new residency spots in addiction medicine/psychiatry over five years. It is crucial for addiction psychiatry fellowship programs to fortify their websites to improve application volume and general awareness, especially now that the recruitment and interview process is virtual due to COVID-19.<br /><br />A study aims to evaluate addiction psychiatry fellowship program websites, with the hypothesis that these websites lack comprehensibility in terms of program information and education material for fellowship applicants. Recommendations include creating a standard list of requirements, incorporating social media platforms, and providing virtual tours. The accessibility of information on program websites is essential for applicants in a high-demand specialty like addiction psychiatry.<br /><br />The study analyzed websites individually and identified areas of improvement in three categories: application process and recruitment, education, and program overview. Factors such as the inclusion of salary and benefits, social media presence, call schedules, research availability, alumni information, and the number of positions offered were found to be lacking in many websites. These deficiencies can affect program rankings, applicant comparisons, access to mentorship and networking opportunities, and the ability to make informed decisions during the application process.<br /><br />The limitations of the study include data collection only up until August 2020, so any updates to websites after that time are not considered. In conclusion, improving the content and comprehensibility of addiction psychiatry fellowship program websites is crucial to bridge the care gap and attract more applicants to the field.

Keywords

addiction psychiatry

care gap

Opioid Workforce Act of 2019

residency spots

virtual recruitment

COVID-19

fellowship programs

program websites

comprehensibility

application process

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