Quality Insights, Marshall School of Medicine develop program to address addiction stigma
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Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and the Charleston-based non-profit Quality Insights co-developed a new program designed to target substance use disorder (SUD) stigma among health care providers in a hospital setting. The novel approach recruits champions from both clinical and non-clinical departments to immerse themselves in interactive learning scenarios that explain the science of addiction and impact of stigma on efforts to guide people with SUD into recovery.
“Research shows that focusing on simple language changes, such as using the term ‘a person with substance use disorder’ versus ‘addict,’ can help de-stigmatize addiction and help people understand that it is a treatable disease,” said Crystal Welch, lead project coordinator for Quality Insights.