Elizabeth: Typical or Troubled Teen? A Training Case for Health Professionals to Recognize and Report Child Maltreatment.

Abstract

Training on the recognition and reporting of child maltreatment is a critical component of any health professional education program. Unfortunately, it is nationally recognized that health care professional training on recognition and reporting suspected child maltreatment is insufficient. Similarly, recent attention has been given to the need for interprofessional learning opportunities targeting to advanced health profession trainees such as doctor of nursing practice, masters in social work, physician assistant, and family medicine residents. An interprofessional case-writing faculty team convened to develop this case and the affiliated materials, including video vignettes, faculty training, comprehensive faculty guide, evaluations, and trainee resources. Trainees were divided into interprofessional teams and advised to develop a prioritized plan of care for a complex patient case, though it was not revealed that the case involved child maltreatment. An initial video vignette showed an adolescent female and her mother during a provider visit to establish care. Teams developed a prioritized plan of care following the vignette. Additional case details unfold during the second vignette, and teams revised their initial plan based on this new information. Interprofessional faculty facilitators guided discussions using prompts from the faculty guide. Postsession surveys revealed that the learning objectives were met, and that both facilitators (N = 20) and trainees (N = 69) were very satisfied with the overall curriculum. Challenges centered around focusing on care priorities rather than provider critique. This curriculum is relevant for a variety of trainees and is an important complement to the curricula of many professions.