The SA Pocket Tool

Abstract

OPEN ACCESSApril 27, 2012The SA Pocket Tool Lynn Sheets, MD, Deborah Bretl Lynn Sheets, MD Medical College of Wisconsin Google Scholar More articles by this author , Deborah Bretl Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.9165 SectionsAbout ToolsDownload Citations ShareFacebookTwitterEmail Abstract Introduction: The medical evaluation of sexually assaulted children, ranging in age from infants to teens, is a complex and emotionally charged procedure. Even medical professionals who have special expertise in these evaluations find these cases challenging. It is important to provide the best medical care for these children in the least stressful way possible, while at the same time meeting the evidentiary needs of investigators. Current guidelines for completing sexual assault evaluations in children are too complex and cumbersome to be very useful at the bedside. Health care providers are usually under duress because of time constraints and the tragic circumstances of these cases when completing these evaluations. Too often the examiner omits key elements of documentation, evidence collection, and treatments of these children. To address this we created the Sexual Abuse (SA) Pocket Tool; a user-friendly checklist that is both educational and useful as a checklist while evaluating a child who may have been assaulted. Methods: This resource contains the SA Pocket Tool and background materials to educators about the tool's use. This education occurs over two 1-hour sessions. During the first session users are provided with relevant background information via a PowerPoint presentation and review the tool in detail. The second session consists of a brief review of content from the first session, and use of the tool in two case studies. Results: The SA tool has been launched locally and presented nationally. There have been multiple requests to make the tool more widely available as a child/teen sexual assault resource. Although no formal assessment was conducted, users of the SA Pocket Tool have provided anecdotal reports of markedly improved comfort with conducting sexual assault evaluations. Discussion: The SA Pocket Tool is meant to be either used as a checklist or to support educational programs on sexual assault evaluations. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone “how-to” manual. The tool may be updated or modified as science evolves and as local practices vary. Educational Objectives By the end of this session, learners will be able to: Instruct new learners on how to use the Sexual Assault (SA) Pocket Tool.Describe the key elements of the sexual assault evaluation and treatment of the prepubertal child and of the adolescent child.Effectively employ the SA Pocket Tool to provide complete medical documentation in acute sexual assault/abuse in children. Sign up for the latest publications from MedEdPORTAL Add your email below FILES INCLUDEDReferencesRelatedDetails FILES INCLUDED Included in this publication: SA Pocket Tool - Instructor's Guide.docx SA Pocket Tool - Adolescent.jpg SA Pocket Tool - Learner Evaluation.docx SA Pocket Tool - Prepubertal Child.jpg SA Pocket Tool - Session 1 Use of the tool.pdf SA Pocket Tool - Session 2 Case examples.pdf To view all publication components, extract (i.e., unzip) them from the downloaded .zip file. Download editor’s noteThis publication may contain technology or a display format that is no longer in use. CitationSheets L, Bretl D. The SA Pocket Tool. MedEdPORTAL. 2012;8:9165. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.9165 Copyright & Permissions© 2012 Sheets and Bretl. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.KeywordsSex OffensesRape Disclosures None to report. Funding/Support None to report. Prior Presentations Sexual Assault “SA” Pocket Tool. Poster presentation at: 32nd Annual Conference on Pediatric Health Care, Charting the Course for Advocacy and Innovation, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; March 23, 2011; Baltimore, Maryland. Loading ...