Educational Activities Archives

For patients with cancer and substance use disorders, managing pain safely and effectively presents unique challenges. Clinicians must balance appropriate opioid prescribing with the risks of relapse, overdose, and fragmented care. This episode explores how addiction, oncology, and palliative care providers can work together to support both cancer treatment and recovery. Listeners will learn practical frameworks for managing cancer-related pain, coordinating care across specialties, and improving outcomes for patients navigating these intersecting and complex conditions.

Burnout is a growing crisis in addiction care, driven by increasing demand, emotional strain, and system-level pressures. Yet burnout is not inevitable—and prevention requires both individual and organizational solutions. This episode explores how burnout differs from compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, and what clinicians and healthcare systems can do to address it. Listeners will gain practical strategies to protect their well-being, strengthen resilience, and advocate for healthier workplace environments that support both providers and the patients they serve.

Substance use during hospitalization is common, yet many healthcare systems lack clear, evidence-based approaches to respond effectively. Punitive responses can worsen outcomes, increase stigma, and lead to early discharge. This episode explores emerging best practices for addressing in-hospital substance use in ways that improve patient safety, strengthen trust, and support recovery. Listeners will learn practical strategies for proactive communication and collaborative approaches that center patient care while supporting healthcare teams navigating these complex situations.

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are life-saving, yet three-quarters of people who need them still can’t access them. This episode examines how pharmacy-based models are closing gaps in addiction care deserts, how pharmacists can strengthen interdisciplinary care teams, and why fair reimbursement for pharmacist services matters for sustaining care in the communities hit hardest by overdose.

Stigma shows up in electronic medical record (EMR) notes, decisions, and outcomes. Drs. DiRocco and Tong talk with Dr. Alena Balasanova, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, about how language in medical records shapes care, how a scalable tech nudge can clean up documentation, and which education strategies actually shift clinician behavior. The episode closes with three practical steps listeners can implement immediately.

Opioid overdose remains a national emergency, and EMS responders are often the first — and sometimes only — healthcare professionals to encounter patients at a critical moment. This SAEM podcast explores the emerging practice of EMS-initiated buprenorphine, an innovative approach that allows paramedics to begin medication for opioid use disorder in the field.