ASAM launches its first-ever massive open online course (MOOC) on addiction medicine, open to a global audience including the public, patients, and providers.

December 2, 2021 (Rockville, MD) – The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), in partnership with FutureLearn, launched a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled “Addiction Medicine: An Introduction.” FutureLearn delivers courses and discussions between learners at a massive scale from leading universities and cultural institutions from around the world. Addiction Medicine: An Introduction offers patients, families, and providers a comprehensive understanding of addiction, its treatment, and the stigma surrounding the disease. As addiction and substance use continues to devastate the global community, expanding knowledge about addiction is critical to improving patient care and reducing treatment barriers.

Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease. However, patients with substance use disorder (SUD) often do not receive the treatment they need. In 2020, 41.1 million people aged 12 or older in the US needed SUD treatment in the past year, but only 6.5% received it. Treatment barriers include stigma around substance use, inadequate medical training, skepticism about medications and treatment, and lack of clinician confidence in treating patients with addiction.

For providers, this course also increases knowledge about evidence-based, patient-centered addiction treatments that improve quality of care and outcomes. Using an interactive, application-focused approach, the course explores the neurobiology of SUD; builds a foundation for understanding and practicing the treatment of SUDs through a chronic care management model; and addresses the significant, negative impact of stigma on addiction treatment.

“Partnering with FutureLearn to provide this program leverages the strengths of our two organizations to effectively educate the global community about addiction and evidence-based approaches to treatment,” said Michael I. Fingerhood, MD, FACP, DFASAM, Chair of ASAM’s Medical Education Council. “Expanding and enhancing global understanding of addiction is critical to decreasing stigma, increasing the quality of patient care, and saving lives.”

The MOOC is guided by the expert specialists at ASAM, a national medical specialty society committed to increasing access to and improving the quality of addiction treatment. Funding for developing this program was provided by FutureLearn.

###