Every child, every time: hospital-wide child abuse screening increases awareness and state reporting

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare quality improvement
• Child abuse detection and prevention
• Medical screening protocols

Background:

• Existing child abuse evaluation systems often lack standardization, leading to underreporting.
• There is a critical need for improved methods to identify and report suspected child abuse in pediatric settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a standardized child abuse screening tool.
• To create an educational program to increase staff awareness of child abuse.
• To measure the impact of the screening tool on reporting rates.

Main Methods:

• A standardized screening tool was developed and initially implemented for trauma patients under 15.
• Staff education and the establishment of a child protection team (CPT) were key components.
• Screening was expanded hospital-wide, and compliance, reporting form (CY-47) submissions, and CPT consultations were monitored.

Main Results:

• Initial screening compliance was 56%, increasing to 96% after hospital-wide implementation.
• Child protection team (CPT) consults rose from an average of 2 to 10 per month.
• The average number of child abuse reporting forms (CY-47) filed increased from 6.1 to 7.3 per month.

Conclusions:

• A hospital-wide, objective screening tool, coupled with ongoing education and CPT support, enhances screening compliance.
• These interventions lead to more consistent and improved rates of reporting suspected child abuse.
• Standardization and dedicated teams are crucial for effective child abuse identification in healthcare settings.