Integrating Harm Reduction and Trauma‐Informed Care in Undergraduate Dental Education

The alarming rise in opioid-related harms and overdose deaths across Canada and the violence and trauma associated with substance use highlights the urgency for healthcare professionals to understand and advocate for harm reduction and trauma-informed care approaches [1, 2]. Stereotypes and stigma surrounding substance use compound the problem, often hindering access to care and exacerbating inequalities within the healthcare system [3]. Dentists, as prescribers of pain medications, play a pivotal role in helping prevent opioid misuse and in observing the overall health and well-being of their patients. However, harm reduction curricula content is limited and not well integrated into dental programs. This gap highlights the need for innovative content delivery methods to effectively present and integrate these critical topics. A 6-h interprofessional education event focused on harm reduction and trauma-informed care was piloted with Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Dental Hygiene (DH), and Master of Public Health (MPH) learners from the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Alberta. Learners worked in small teams over 3 weeks (2 h/week), completing self-study and team-based activities. Learners gained knowledge of harm reduction, social stigma versus social connection, creating safe treatment spaces, impacts of violence and trauma, and patient-centered care (Figure 1). Learners collaborated closely, exchanged ideas, and coordinated their efforts to better understand how to destigmatize substance misuse and create a supportive environment where individuals feel comfortable seeking oral care. The fundamental guiding principle was that every individual deserves to be treated with respect and kindness. Learners were challenged to evaluate their own views (opinions on harm reduction, lifestyle choices, etc.) and appreciate the importance of harm reduction and trauma-informed care in reducing health and social harms for patients. Via an anonymous, voluntary post-event survey, learners were overwhelmingly supportive of the event with 95 out of 181 learners responding (43 DMD, 27 DH, and 25 MPH). This project was reviewed by the institutional ethics board and deemed exempt due to the data being anonymous and voluntary (E768). Questions focused on learners' change in understanding and perceptions of harm reduction and trauma-informed approaches resulting from this event (Table 1). Key findings included: (1) 89.5% of learners intend to tailor their patient interactions through a holistic lens, and (2) 86.3% of learners increased their understanding of the concept of harm reduction. Learners explored inter-professional care perspectives, with 82.1% of learners reporting an increased understanding of the importance of teamwork in healthcare. 0.89 By encouraging broad perspectives and holistic consideration of patient care needs, dental learners will be better prepared to tailor oral health treatments through trauma-informed lens or to offer harm reduction-related supports. These patient-centered care perspectives can lead to better outcomes for patients, including informed prescribing practices, better patient communication, and improved pain management strategies [4]. This not only helps in mitigating the risk of opioid misuse but can potentially have a positive impact on the health and well-being of patients long-term [5]. This pilot offering also featured an inter-institutional component, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from learners. Both the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Alberta learners had similar levels of agreeableness (Figure 2). This event will be included in future course offerings at both institutions, with planned expansion to students in other healthcare professions and follow-up evaluations to assess long-term outcomes. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.