Comprehensive Implementation Of Trauma Informed Care In Medical Settings: A Preliminary Framework (Phase One)

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years) (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2021). According to The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study, conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente, approximately 61% of adults surveyed across 25 states indicated that they had experienced at least one type of ACE, while close to 1 in 6 had experienced 4 or more types (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2021). Given the prevalence of ACEs, or trauma, in our society, it is reasonable to extrapolate to the importance of addressing it universally in our culture. Since childhood trauma has been linked to several negative health outcomes (CDC, 2021), the comprehensive integration of services aimed at treating trauma must include health care systems with global staff participation – including but not limited to physicians, administrative staff, front of house staff, and nurses. This study aimed to create a preliminary, comprehensive framework for the medical implementation of Trauma Informed Care (TIC) through surveys of medical professionals' opinions, understanding, and current practices regarding TIC. A purposive snowball sampling method was used to recruit participants. The inclusion criteria for the study was that participants were 18 years of age and older and worked in the health care field. Seventeen individuals completed an anonymous online survey on SurveyMonkey. There was a mix of quantitative (Likert scale) questions and open-ended questions. Both EXCEL and SPSS were used for the data analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Forty-one percent of the sample were Physicians and eighteen percent were Nurse Practitioners. Twenty-nine percent of respondents reported having a personal history of trauma. Although the sample size was small, enough qualitative data was collected to make initial recommendations for the integration of TIC into health care settings. Findings also indicated that practitioners with a personal history of trauma had a higher level of confidence in their competency to utilize TIC standards of care.