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Project ECHO to launch a stigma reduction series for healthcare professionals

Patients with substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), face several challenges when accessing care, including stigma and biases. Stigmatizing attitudes are often a result of scarce education and training and can lead to poor health outcomes for patients with OUD and related SUDs. Project ECHO at Penn State College of Medicine is launching a new ECHO series, “Addressing Attitudes and Stigma on Opioid Use Disorder in Health Care,” aimed at teaching primary care providers on how to address stigma with colleagues and in their clinic. This ECHO series is part of a study comparing two stigma trainings.

“We understand that many people who work in direct patient care have not had the opportunity to learn about the barriers that individuals with opioid use disorder face when accessing medical treatment,” Övgü Kaynak, Ph.D., principal investigator and assistant professor of psychology at Penn State Harrisburg, shares. “We believe this training will equip healthcare providers with the tools they need to provide care and compassion to these patients.”

Six cohorts of this training will be offered beginning in August 2022.

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