title: Cannabis in medicine: a national educational needs assessment among Canadian physicians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing global awareness and interest in the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP). It is clear that health care professionals need to be involved in these decisions, but often lack the education needed to engage in informed discussions with patients. This study was conducted to determine the educational needs of Canadian physicians regarding CTP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national needs assessment survey was developed based on previous survey tools. The survey was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the McGill University Health Centre Research Institute and was provided online using LimeSurvey®. Several national physician organizations and medical education organizations informed their members of the survey. The target audience was Canadian physicians. We sought to identify and rank using 5-point Likert scales the most common factors involved in decision making about using CTP in the following categories: knowledge, experience, attitudes, and barriers. Preferred educational approaches and physician demographics were collected. Gap analysis was conducted to determine the magnitude and importance of differences between perceived and desired knowledge on all decision factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred and twenty six responses were received, and physician responses were distributed across Canada consistent with national physician distribution. The most desired knowledge concerned "potential risks of using CTP" and "safety, warning signs and precautions for patients using CTP". The largest gap between perceived current and desired knowledge levels was "dosing" and "the development of treatment plans".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have identified several key educational needs among Canadian physicians regarding CTP. These data can be used to develop resources and educational programs to support clinicians in this area, as well as to guide further research to inform these gaps.
authors.affiliation: Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Center Research Institute; Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids, A5.140 Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada. Daniel.ziemianski@muhc.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ziemianski
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. rielle@telus.net.
authors.forename: Rielle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capler
authors.affiliation: Community Programs, Urban Care Health Group, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. rory@urbancarehealth.com.
authors.forename: Rory
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tekanoff
authors.affiliation: Département des sciences de la santé, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada. Anais.Lacasse@uqat.ca.
authors.forename: Anaïs
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacasse
authors.affiliation: Continuing Health Professional Education, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada. francesca.luconi@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luconi
authors.affiliation: Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit, McGill University Health Center Research Institute; Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids, A5.140 Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1A4, Canada. mark.ware@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ware
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064086:Medical Marijuana / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010601:Pharmacology, Clinical / Q000193:education*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D064086:Medical Marijuana