AANP Member Spotlight: Two NPs Working to Address Substance Use Disorder

Disseminating clinical knowledge of substance use disorder (SUD) management and sharing evidence-based SUD treatment practices.

AANP is proud to partner with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) on the NIDA Mentor-facilitated Training Award in Substance Use Disorders Science Dissemination. This award is designed to support AANP members as they develop a project that addresses or improves upon current gaps in the dissemination of research findings or in the adoption of evidence-based clinical practice.

The 2018 awardee, Kathleen Broglio, DNP, ANP-BC, ACHPN, CPE, FPCN, researched the prevalence of SUD screening in oncology. Following an online survey of oncology physicians, Dr. Broglio’s research showed that about 30% of physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs) perform such screenings around 70% of the time.

“With my mentor, Dr. Seddon Savage, we performed cancer center grand rounds. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center has a large grant for Substance Use Mental Health Initiatives, so we directed people to those resources,” says Dr. Broglio. “We want this education to be ongoing, so we placed these presentations as enduring materials on the intranet for opioid management continuing education (CE) credit.”

Laurel Hallock-Koppelman, DNP, FNP-C, APRN, the 2019 awardee, is researching how to enhance collaboration between the emergency department (ED) and primary care providers in order to help fast-track entry to care.

“A patient may come to the ED with an overdose or in withdrawal, they get stabilized and they are then released. Some may be told to follow up elsewhere and some may be prescribed buprenorphine, but many are left to their own devices,” she says. “These substances can cause havoc in many people’s lives, and primary care can be a valuable resource for treatment—but these patients cannot wait four to six weeks to get in. I’m meeting with key players in our practice to make this change and create channels to address this growing need.”

This award has also opened doors to valuable networking and leadership opportunities, both locally and across the country.

“I have just been awarded an American Cancer Society^® Institutional Research Grant. We will conduct a point prevalence study across the cancer center to evaluate the risks for opioid misuse across different cancers. We hope to also validate an opioid risk tool in this population. As a result of my involvement in the NIDA grant award, I am now collaborating with colleagues about incorporating opioid risk screening for all patients prior to opioid prescribing,” reports Dr. Broglio.

“I was told I was the first NP to use grant services in my Department of Family Medicine. It’s a huge incentive to experience this world, learn new things and connect with people I never thought I would meet,” says Dr. Hallock-Koppelman. “I’ve been able to speak with one of the founding members of Time’s Up Healthcare™, and I am honored to be meeting her face to face as she’s going to be the one to implement this ED induction process. This is giving me the opportunity to promote our profession and help improve the health of patients simultaneously.”

NIDA Awardees Present at the 2019 Annual Steering Committee Meeting

As an exciting part of the NIDA award, both Dr. Broglio and Dr. Hallock-Koppelman attended the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) 2019 Annual Steering Committee Meeting, where they presented poster abstracts of their work.

“Since my research is in a very niche area, I think there was a real curiosity about it. I received feedback that this is really interesting, ground-breaking work,” says Dr. Broglio. “The meeting also allowed me to create valuable new connections, including with this year’s award winner, Dr. Hallock-Koppelman. In addition, one of the co-facilitators of CTN is notably involved in this community. I was able to introduce myself—and my project with NIDA—to her and now have the opportunity to meet with her for even more insight.”

“It was incredibly inspirational to attend this meeting. I was very impressed with CTN’s inclusivity among health care providers and the awareness that it will take collaboration between many providers to change education and treatment of SUD,” says Dr. Hallock-Koppelman. “I was able to share my insight into the NP role by providing critical information about full practice authority and prescribing legislation. Our country is so big and diverse that it’s important we understand how we can work together to make a difference.”

Drs. Broglio and Hallock-Koppelman will also present posters at the 2019 AANP National Conference in June, and there will be two educational sessions presented by Dr. Broglio:

• Wednesday, June 19, 8:45–9:45 a.m.—Screening and Interventions for Substance Use and Alcohol Use Disorder: Current State of the Science
• Thursday, June 20, 8–9 a.m.—Opioid Use Disorder in the Cancer Population: Challenges and Opportunities

“If a clinician isn’t consistently screening, they’re going to walk away understanding the importance of including it in everyday practice, no matter what specialty they’re in. As I reported in my project with NIDA, one of the biggest reasons for not screening was ‘another clinician is doing it’—but there’s no other clinician doing it. It is everyone’s job,” says Dr. Broglio. “In oncology, there’s a better way to approach pain management in this population, and there’s a need for a compassionate approach when screening for opioid use disorder.”

“I encourage everyone interested in applying to develop your ideas early. Talk to Dr. Broglio at conference and discuss the steps she took, or speak with AANP about applications from previous years,” says Dr. Hallock-Koppelman. “It’s been such a rewarding experience with a multitude of benefits for me as an NP. It has afforded me such a connection with folks that I didn’t have before.”

Check back in fall 2019 for more NIDA opportunities, or contact practice@aanp.org with questions.

Gain Actionable Insights and Develop New Ideas at National Conference

The 2019 AANP National Conference is filled with hands-on learning, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, thoughtful discussion and new connections.

Join in the Specialty Practice Group (SPG) meetings on Wednesday, June 19, at 10 a.m., to converse, collaborate and network with others who share an interest in a number of therapeutic areas and professional interests. Are you not a current SPG member? You are welcome to attend to learn more about these thought-provoking, engaging communities—or join an SPG community today!

Visit the Exhibit Hall, which opens on Thursday, June 20, at 2:30 p.m., to see NP and Industry Scientific Poster presentations featuring the latest evidence in the field. The Exhibit Hall will also feature booths from a number of health care organizations and health tech companies, where you can explore new products and trends in health care. Plus, head to the AANP Plaza for all AANP departments and associated organizations in one convenient location—and to visit with the SPG Chairs and Co-chairs at the Professional Practice Booth.