Training Hospital Personnel in Trauma-Informed Care: Assessing an Interprofessional Workshop With Patients as Teachers

Objective: Trauma-informed care (TIC) and violence intervention programs (VIPs) facilitate psychosocial healing and reduce injury recidivism for children and families affected by community violence. To integrate a VIP into 2 Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers, an educational initiative was developed and co-taught by pediatricians and former patients. The primary aim was to increase provider-driven patient referrals to the VIP. A secondary aim was to improve all participants’ comfort levels in 5 areas of TIC. Methods: Referrals to the VIP from 2014 to 2018 were tracked and analyzed. A curriculum based on Five Points of TIC was developed and offered to interprofessional groups of hospital employees. Pediatricians and former patients recovering from violent injury facilitated the workshops. Twenty-two workshops were attended by 318 providers and hospital staff members from 2015 to 2018. Pre- and postworkshop surveys asked participants to rate their comfort levels with 5 areas of TIC. Results: Provider-driven patient identification increased from 34.8% to 86.8% over the study period. For the entire cohort, participants’ self-assessment of comfort levels with TIC improved by 21% (P < .001), with medical students’ scores improving the most (24%). Residents were less likely to complete the workshop than fellows or attendings (P = .03). Conclusions: This novel curriculum was associated with a change in practice patterns, as well as a closer relationship between the VIP and pediatric hospital systems. All professional groups experienced an improvement in comfort levels with the Five Points of TIC. Future study on information retention and other patient care-related outcomes is needed.