Medical students are unprepared to counsel patients about medical cannabis and want to learn more

Benavides, Abraham David; Gregorio, Nicholas; Gupta, Puneet; Коган, М. И.

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.102237

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Concerns about addiction to MC among medical students have been reported in previous studies [ 37 ]. The finding that students are uninformed about MC facts is supported by previous research with medical students [ 37 , 40 , 45 - 47 ]. They held different opinions about what the idea of addiction was but could not offer any medical or scientifically based definition or interpretation of what addiction was.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

“…The medical school from which this sample was drawn, according to the participants, does not offer any curricular training in MC. Based on the results from the interviews, it was apparent that the participants have limited accurate information about MC and desire formal training while in medical school, a finding supported by previous research [ 37 , 45 , 46 ]. They recognized the benefit of having a formalized education regarding MC, and that Google searches and social media may be unreliable sources.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

“…Some studies have investigated medical students' attitudes and knowledge regarding MC and its use as a medical intervention [36,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. Research from the US and other countries indicated that medical students possess a considerable desire for more formal education about MC, including learning about its potential for dependency/addiction [37,48].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Jacobs¹,

Colon²,

Kane³

2022

Cureus

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BackgroundThere has been increased attention given to understanding the uses of medical cannabis (MC) for symptom management of various medical conditions. Physicians receive minimal training in medical school and rely mostly on anecdotal evidence; by proxy, medical students generally do receive formal training in MC. It is unknown how medical students perceive MC, including its efficacy, appropriateness in medicine, its possible adverse effects, and its value for patients. This study investigated medical students' perceived knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward MC to better understand their knowledge about and attitudes toward MC. MethodUsing a semi-structured interview guide, eight focus groups were conducted with 83 medical students via Zoom virtual meeting platform (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., San Jose, California, United States) in June 2022. The interviews were guided by the following content areas: (1) beliefs about cannabis' therapeutic utility, (2) perceived knowledge about MC, (3) the role of the physician regarding MC, (4) concern for cannabis' adverse effects, and (5) MC education in the school curriculum. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, an iterative, systematic process of coding patterns, and emerged themes in the interview data to explore medical students' perceptions about MC. Themes were validated based on whether each theme captured distinct parts of the interview data and whether their content cohered meaningfully. ResultsFour themes emerged from the focus group interviews investigating medical students' perceptions of MC:(1) erroneous beliefs about MC, (2) unreliable sources of information, (3) mixed attitudes toward legalization, and (4) desire for MC education while in medical school. Attitudes regarding MC in general, including legalization, varied by United States state of origin of the student and exposure to MC (e.g., use by family member). ConclusionMC seems to be a significant issue for medical trainees who might be required to recommend it to patients and manage coexisting therapies. Cultivating new knowledge about students' perceptions and perceived knowledge about medicinal options and dosing of MC is critical for medical educators as they design undergraduate curricular initiatives for future physicians.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Jacobs¹,

Colon²,

Kane³

2022

Cureus

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“…Given the rapidly increasing interest in the field of MC, it is also crucial to note that the literature search was performed roughly halfway through 2019, resulting in the exclusion of numerous, relevant studies which were published afterwards. Such studies include: Gritsenko et al ( 2020 ), Benavides et al ( 2020 ), and Arnfinsen and Kisa ( 2021 ), among others (Arnfinsen and Kisa 2021 ; Benavides et al 2020 ; Gritsenko et al 2020 ). The reason for the 2019 search cutoff is due to the fact that this study was conducted as part of an undergraduate thesis completed in December 2019.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review of medical students’ and professionals’ attitudes and knowledge regarding medical cannabis

Weisman

Rodriguez

2021

J Cannabis Res

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Background Recently, the renewed global interest in cannabis’ therapeutic properties has resulted in shifting attitudes and legislative policies worldwide. The aim of this systematic review is to explore the existing literature on medical professionals’ and students’ attitudes and knowledge regarding medicinal cannabis (MC) to assess any relevant and significant trends. Methods This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Using PubMed and Google Scholar, a literature search was performed to identify studies pertaining to healthcare professionals’ and medical students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding MC. There were no search limits on the year of publication; however, studies without primary data (e.g., abstracts, systematic reviews, meta-analyses) and non-English language papers were excluded. Studies were coded according to the following research questions: (1) Do respondents believe that cannabis should be legalized (for medicinal and/or recreational purposes)? (2) Are respondents confident in their level of knowledge regarding cannabis’ clinical applications? (3) Are respondents convinced of cannabis’ therapeutic potential? 4) What current gaps in knowledge exist, and how can the medical community become better informed about cannabis’ therapeutic uses? and (5) Are there significant differences between the knowledge and opinions of healthcare students versus healthcare professionals with respect to any of the aforementioned queries? Chi-square tests were used to assess differences between medical students and medical professionals, and Pearson’s bivariate correlations were used to analyze associations between survey responses and year of publication—as a proxy measurement to assess change over time. Results Out of the 741 items retrieved, 40 studies published between 1971 and 2019 were included in the final analyses. In an evaluation of 21 qualified studies (8016 respondents), 49.9% of all respondents favored legalization (SD = 25.7, range: 16–97%). A correlational analysis between the percentage of survey respondents who support MC legalization and year of publication suggests that both medical students’ and professionals’ support for MC legalization has increased from 1991 to 2019 (r(19) = .44, p = .045). Moreover, medical professionals favor the legalization of MC at a significantly higher rate than students (52% vs. 42%, respectively; χ2 (1, N = 9019) = 50.72 p < .001). Also, respondents consistently report a strong desire for more education about MC and a substantial concern regarding MC’s potential to cause dependence and addiction. Pearson’s correlations between year of publication and survey responses for both of these queried variables suggest minimal changes within the last decade (2011–2019 for addiction and dependence, 2012-2019 for additional education; r(13) = − .10, p = .713 and r(12) = − .12, p = .678, respectively). Conclusion The finding that both medical students’ and professionals’ acceptance of MC has significantly increased in recent decades—in conjunction with their consistent, strong desire for more educational material—suggests that the medical community should prioritize the development of MC educational programs. MC is far more likely to succeed as a safe and viable therapy if the medical professionals who administer it are well-trained and confident regarding its clinical effects. Limitations include a lack of covariate-based analyses and the exclusion of studies published after the literature search was performed (June 2019). Future research should analyze studies published post-2019 to draw temporal comparisons and should investigate the effect of numerous covariates (e.g., gender, religiosity, prior cannabis use) as newer studies gather data on these factors [PROSPERO Registration: CRD42020204382].

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“…8,9 Programs that train health professionals have not yet integrated curriculum regarding cannabis in their courses as a routine or expected competency. [10][11][12] Conferences, medical literature, and websites are listed as common sources for information by clinicians who authorize cannabis. 11 While admitting their own lack of knowledge and discomfort regarding cannabis and clinical use, health professionals still often seek other health professionals as their primary source of information.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ask Your Provider About Cannabis: Increasing Nurse Practitioner Knowledge and Confidence

Klein

Bindler

2022

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research

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Introduction: Nurse practitioners (NPs) are authorizing providers for medical cannabis in many states, and may serve as a primary care clinician. We report findings from a nationally distributed 2-h continuing education (CE) module aimed to improve knowledge, confidence, and willingness to communicate with patients about cannabis. Methods: Data were electronically obtained from the CE platform pre-and post-test (n = 289) and a follow-up survey sent within 3 months postcompletion (n = 184, 63%). Pre-and post-testing assessed cannabis pharmacodynamics, law, evidence-based use, metabolism, pharmacokinetics, laboratory testing, adverse reactions, and drug-drug interactions. The subsequent survey asked about changes in practice behavior, including willingness and self-identified recommendations for use. Quantitative and qualitative descriptive analysis and repeatedmeasures analysis of variance were used to analyze CE impact. Results: Significant improvement in scores was noted from pretest to post-test for all content with a mean improvement of 39.3% (95% CI: 30.6-47.9%). The greatest increases were for metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and drug-drug interaction content. At follow-up, 52.2% reported that the CE changed their attitudes about cannabis and although 86% had rarely or never applied it yet in practice, 92% reported they were now likely to inquire about cannabis use in their patients and 84% were likely to counsel patients about it. Although self-identified recommendations overlapped by conditions, some were unique to CBD (complex regional pain syndrome, migraine, mood disorder, smoking cessation) and THC products (appetite, cachexia, depression, fibromyalgia, HIV, seizure disorder, stress, and weight loss). Pain was the most common condition for recommendation of both CBD and THC, followed by anxiety and arthritis. Conclusions: NPs gained key knowledge about cannabis, which may impact patient care and prescribing practices. The educational module resulted in more willingness to discuss and counsel patients about cannabis, even if practitioner attitudes did not change.

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Medical students are unprepared to counsel patients about medical cannabis and want to learn more

Cited by 13 publications

References 5 publications

Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Beliefs about Medical Cannabis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

A systematic review of medical students’ and professionals’ attitudes and knowledge regarding medical cannabis

Ask Your Provider About Cannabis: Increasing Nurse Practitioner Knowledge and Confidence

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