Target Audience

All healthcare professionals

Goals and Objectives

Research continues to show substance use disorders (SUDS) can be effectively treated with existing  evidence-based treatment. Unfortunately, access to in-person SUD treatment programs is limited. Utilization of such programs remains low.

Alternatives to in-person SUD treatment programs are being explored to improve accessibility to SUD treatment programs for persons who cannot access a traditional in-person SUD treatment program. Patient retention in a SUD treatment program is very important for the success of in-person SUD treatment programs. Retention in telemedicine SUD treatment programs is critically important too.

Upon completion of this activity, learners should now know:

• How to discuss the importance of access and attendance/retention traditional in-person evidence-based substance abuse treatment programs to successfully treat substance abuse disorders when using traditional evidence-based treatment of patients with substance abuse disorders. (Knowledge)
• How to recognize the increased risk for patients with substance abuse disorders to be unable to access and sustain traditional in-person treatment to successfully manage their SUD. (Knowledge)
• How to consider financial, insurance, transportation, monitoring for recidivism, and other potential factors which may underlie the inability of SUD patients to sustain adherence to traditional in-person SUD treatment programs. (Knowledge)
• How to recognize the potential for substance abuse treatment delivered by telemedicine to reduce risks which may affect access and attendance / retention when SUD treatment is delivered by telemedicine. (Knowledge)

Upon completion of this activity, learners should now be able to:

• Integrate telemedicine into substance abuse programs to improve patient access and retention in evidence-based substance abuse treatment programs. (Competence)

Upon completion of this activity, learners will be able to make the following change:

• Implement telemedicine for substance abuse treatment programs. (Performance)

Course Information

CME Release Date:  July 4, 2024
Valid for credit through:  July 3, 2027
Course type: Journal CME/CE
Estimated time of completion: 1 hour
Maximum number of attempts: 3
Passing Score: 70%

Credits Available

Southern Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Southern Medical Association designates this Journal CME/CE activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

System Requirements and Instructions for Participation and Credit

System Requirements

• Learners must have Adobe Reader installed in order to view course content.
• The website is supported by the latest versions of most modern web browsers. In order to experience the website fully, please upgrade to the latest version of one of the following browsers: Google Chrome (recommended), Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Apple Mobile Safari.
• JavaScript must be enabled. JavaScript should be enabled by default in your browser, but if not then please consult your browser's Help section for information on how to change this setting. Upgrade your browser to a version that supports JavaScript 1.2 or higher (see browser list above).
• Connection Speed Requirements - DSL or faster

Instructions for Participation and Credit

This activity is designed to be completed within the time designated; learners should claim only those credits that reflect the time actually spent in the activity. 

To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period noted, following these steps:

• Read the goals and objectives, accreditation information, and author disclosures.
• Login in below to study the educational content and references.
• Complete the evaluation and quiz.

Upon successful completion of these components, your certificate will be processed and emailed from customerservice@sma.org within approximately 1 hour. Credits will be archived for 6 years; at any point within this time period you may login to your account to print a duplicate copy of your certificate.