Goldstein Ellen, Murray-García Jann, Sciolla Andrés F, Topitzes James
Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Primary Care Research Fellowship.
Assistant Health Sciences Clinical Professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis.
Perm J. 2018;22:17-126. doi: 10.7812/TPP/17-126.
Adults exposed to traumatic events during childhood commonly seek medical services, but health care practitioners hesitate to address and assess early trauma despite its known negative health effects. This study examines medical students' perspectives on a brief course that addressed the health care needs of patients exposed to adverse childhood experiences.
A convenience sample of 20 University of California, Davis medical students from the Summer Institute on Race and Health received 6 hours of trauma-informed care training. The course was delivered in 2-hour modules during the course of 3 days, and included lectures, discussions, and practice. A questionnaire assessing students' perspectives on training benefits, current practice challenges, and necessary resources to provide trauma-informed medical care was distributed posttraining.
From the students' perspectives, this course increased their ability to recognize various clinical manifestations of adverse childhood experience exposure in adult patients. Students said they learned how to ask about and respond to adverse childhood experience disclosures and identify necessary resources to responsibly implement trauma-informed care in medical settings. Students identified provision of adequate resources and links to appropriate treatment identified as common challenges in providing health care to trauma-affected patients.
Study findings illustrate that trauma training can fill a knowledge gap and provide associated benefits for medical students. Initial training may pique students' interest by demonstrating the relevance of trauma knowledge in clinical practice; additional training likely is needed to support skills and confidence.
童年时期遭受创伤性事件的成年人通常会寻求医疗服务，但医疗保健从业者尽管知道早期创伤对健康有负面影响，却不愿处理和评估早期创伤。本研究调查了医学生对一门针对童年不良经历患者医疗需求的简短课程的看法。
从加州大学戴维斯分校种族与健康暑期学院抽取了20名医学生作为便利样本，他们接受了6小时的创伤知情护理培训。该课程在3天内以2小时的模块形式授课，包括讲座、讨论和实践。培训结束后发放了一份问卷，评估学生对培训益处、当前实践挑战以及提供创伤知情医疗护理所需资源的看法。
从学生的角度来看，这门课程提高了他们识别成年患者童年不良经历暴露的各种临床表现的能力。学生们表示，他们学会了如何询问和回应童年不良经历的披露，以及确定在医疗环境中负责任地实施创伤知情护理所需的资源。学生们指出，提供足够的资源和与适当治疗的联系是为受创伤患者提供医疗服务时的常见挑战。
研究结果表明，创伤培训可以填补知识空白，并为医学生带来相关益处。初始培训可以通过展示创伤知识在临床实践中的相关性来激发学生的兴趣；可能需要额外的培训来支持技能和信心。
