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Emergency department screening for risk for post-traumatic stress disorder among injured children
W L Ward-Begnoche1, M E Aitken, R Liggin
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine and Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202-3591, USA. wardbegnochewendyl@uams.edu
Insights
Implementing a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening tool in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) showed high acceptability despite some challenges. Future research should build on successes and address identified barriers for effective PTSD screening.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Care
- Mental Health Screening
Background:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant concern for children experiencing trauma.
- Early identification of at-risk patients and families in emergency settings is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the implementation of a PTSD screening tool in pediatric emergency departments.
- To identify successes and challenges in applying the STEPP tool to a general pediatric ED population.
Main Methods:
- The STEPP screening tool, previously validated in inpatient trauma, was adapted for use in two pediatric emergency departments.
- Nurse screeners were trained to administer the tool to patients with unintentional injuries.
- Nurse feedback was collected to assess the implementation process.
Main Results:
- The implementation process encountered some barriers but achieved high overall acceptability among emergency department staff and patients.
- The screening tool effectively identified patients and families at risk for PTSD symptomatology.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the feasibility and benefits of PTSD screening in pediatric EDs.
- Recommendations are provided for optimizing screening protocols and addressing implementation challenges in future research and practice.
Objective:
To discuss the successes and challenges associated with the implementation of a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screening tool in two pediatric emergency departments (ED).
Methods:
The STEPP screening tool has been developed previously on an inpatient population of motor vehicle trauma patients. It was applied here to the general ED population at two different pediatric trauma centers. Nurse screeners were trained and a convenience sample of patients with unintentional injuries who met study criteria were screened in the ED. Feedback from nurse screeners was obtained.
Results:
The process of implementing a screening tool to identify patients and their families significantly at risk for PTSD symptomatology presented some barriers, but overall acceptability of the process was high for both the emergency department staff and the patient. Recommendations for others considering implementation of screening programs in the ED are offered.
Conclusions:
Future research using screening protocols in the ED should, in their design, attempt to capitalize on the successes identified in the current protocol and circumvent barriers also encountered.
