ACE-Informed Responses in Central Texas: Findings from a Needs Assessment

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Healthcare Professional Education

Background:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) significantly impact long-term health.
• Understanding healthcare professionals' knowledge and practices regarding ACEs is crucial for effective intervention.
• Current gaps exist in ACEs screening, disclosure, and response strategies within healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) knowledge among healthcare professionals in Central Texas.
• To determine the prevalence of ACE screening, patient disclosure, and the implementation of ACE-informed responses.
• To examine the relationship between ACE knowledge and the application of ACE-informed strategies.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was used as a needs assessment tool.
• Purposive and snowball sampling recruited 85 healthcare providers, focusing on pediatric and women's health.
• The survey included closed- and open-ended questions to gather data on ACE knowledge and practices.

Main Results:

• Most respondents were unfamiliar with the specific ACE study, though 59.6% had trauma-related training.
• Screening commonly focused on mental illness and substance abuse; broader ACE-informed strategies were less frequent.
• ACE knowledge positively correlated with two specific ACE-informed response strategies.

Conclusions:

• While familiarity with ACEs is low, awareness of trauma's impact on child health is more common.
• Increased education and resources are necessary to enhance healthcare providers' engagement with ACEs.
• Developing ACE-informed cultures requires community-wide training, collaboration, and policy analysis.