Impact of an Interdisciplinary Educational Intervention on Healthcare Provider Knowledge and Beliefs Regarding Opioid Harm Reduction in Older Adults: A Pre-Post Survey Study

Opioid misuse continues to be a major public health issue in the United States. Older adults (≥65) are at particular risk of harm from opioids due to changes in opioid pharmacokinetics with age; however, healthcare professionals lack training and confidence in addressing opioid harm reduction strategies in this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to improve healthcare professional knowledge and beliefs regarding opioid harm reduction strategies amongst older adults. An 8 h interprofessional conference was conducted 1 May 2025 to educate healthcare providers about opioid misuse prevention strategies for older adults. This study utilized a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design to assess changes in healthcare professional knowledge and beliefs before and after the conference. Healthcare professionals in the U.S. were recruited to participate in the conference via email listservs with national reach, predominantly concentrated in Alabama. Data were collected at pre- and post-conference via an anonymous online survey informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Health Belief Model. Primary outcome measures included: (1) knowledge of opioid use and misuse in older adults (5 items); (2) prescribing and dispensing attitudes surrounding opioids and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) (5 items); (3) perceived susceptibility to harm from opioids (4 items); and (4) perceived barriers to opioid harm reduction in older adults (17-items). Constructs were measured using multiple-choice questions (knowledge) and Likert-type scales (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Secondarily, intention to join a Microsoft Teams working group for ongoing collaboration was assessed through a single categorical (Yes/No/Unsure) multiple-choice question at post-conference. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and differences in mean knowledge, attitudes, susceptibility, and barriers scale scores from pre- to post-conference were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (alpha = 0.05). Of N = 75 survey respondents, the majority were White (86.7%), female (74.7%), 50 years of age on average, and employed as pharmacists (68%). Overall, mean (SD) knowledge (83.73% [19.92] versus 90.67% [12.45]; p = 0.011) and perceived susceptibility (3.82 [0.63] versus 4.03 [0.63]; p = 0.002) increased from pre- to post-conference, while perceived barriers decreased (2.71 [0.54] versus 2.54 [0.58]; p = 0.001). Despite an upward trend, there was no statistically significant change in the mean prescribing and dispensing attitudes from baseline to post-conference. Additionally, 34.7% intended to join the Microsoft Teams working group at post-conference. Findings support the utility of interprofessional educational interventions to increase healthcare provider knowledge and beliefs regarding opioid harm reduction strategies amongst older adults.