Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
Complement Ther Med. 2020 Mar;49:102328. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102328. Epub 2020 Jan 31.
Since 1999, the Canadian courts have recognized the rights of patients to access cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP). Due to the increasing interest in the use of CTP, competency with the topic among health care providers is essential. As concerns mount around the role of industry involvement in cannabis education, it has become increasingly important for medical schools to provide physicians-in-training balanced evidence regarding the harms and benefits of CTP. In the present study, we surveyed Canadian physicians-in-training regarding their knowledge, experience, attitudes, and barriers surrounding CTP.
Survey questions were adapted from extant physician and nurse practitioner education needs assessments. We invited representatives from all 17 Canadian universities with a Faculty of Medicine to electronically distribute the survey to physicians-in-training.
The survey was accessed by 93 physicians-in-training of whom 76 provided responses (46 % female; M = 28, SD = 3.03). Physicians-in-training reported receiving significantly less instruction on CTP than they desired. Responses demonstrated differences between current and desired knowledge across all domains queried. More education was the factor identified as most likely to increase comfort authorizing and discussing CTP with patients.
Findings from this study demonstrate an expressed desire for more education surrounding CTP among a self-selected sample of Canadian physicians-in-training. There was a substantial divergence between current and desired levels of knowledge, and the largest gaps related to creating effective treatment plans and understanding the risks and benefits of CTP. Improving the educational opportunities of students will improve standard-of-care for patients.
自 1999 年以来，加拿大法院承认患者获取大麻用于治疗目的（CTP）的权利。由于人们对 CTP 使用的兴趣日益浓厚，医疗保健提供者掌握该主题的知识至关重要。随着人们对行业参与大麻教育的关注不断增加，医学院为接受培训的医生提供有关 CTP 的危害和益处的平衡证据变得越来越重要。在本研究中，我们调查了加拿大接受培训的医生对 CTP 的知识、经验、态度和障碍。
调查问题改编自现有的医生和护士从业者教育需求评估。我们邀请了所有 17 所拥有医学院的加拿大大学的代表，通过电子方式向接受培训的医生分发调查。
有 93 名接受培训的医生访问了该调查，其中 76 名提供了回复（46%为女性；M=28，SD=3.03）。接受培训的医生报告说，他们接受的 CTP 指导明显少于他们所期望的。答复表明，在所查询的所有领域中，当前知识与期望知识之间存在差异。更多的教育被认为是最有可能增加授权和与患者讨论 CTP 的舒适度的因素。
本研究的结果表明，在加拿大接受培训的医生中，自我选择的样本对 CTP 周围的更多教育表示出渴望。当前和期望的知识水平之间存在很大差距，最大的差距与制定有效的治疗计划和理解 CTP 的风险和益处有关。改善学生的教育机会将改善患者的护理标准。
