Transdisciplinary collaboration and endorsement of pharmacological and psychosocial evidence-based practices by medical and psychosocial substance abuse treatment providers in the United States.

This secondary analysis of data from National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network protocol CTN-0008, “Assessment of the CTN: A Baseline for Investigating Diffusion of Innovation,” examined the relative contribution of providers’ professional affiliation (medical vs. non-medical), involvement in research, and training needs for associations with endorsement of the following evidence-based practices (EBPs): (1) pharmacological — buprenorphine treatment and (2) psychosocial – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). As part of CTN-0008, 571 substance abuse treatment providers (medical, social workers, psychologists, and counselors) were surveyed. After multivariate linear regression models were used to analyze the cross-sectional survey data, results found that medical providers and providers with previous research involvement more strongly endorsed the effectiveness of buprenorphine over CBT. Compared to medical providers, psychosocial providers more strongly endorsed CBT. There was a positive association between needing training in rapport with patients and endorsement of buprenorphine and a negative association with CBT. There was also a positive association between needing training in behavioral management and needs assessment and endorsement of CBT.

Conclusions: The current findings revealed that providers’ specializations, as well as their involvement in research, are critical to their perceptions about various practices. Therefore, provider training should explicitly address issues of evidence regardless of providers’ education, job title, and knowledge level. Greater emphasis ought to be place on training all providers how to practice in transdisciplinary teams so that knowledge about pharmacological and psychosocial practices is elevated among all professionals.

Related protocols: CTN-0008