Trauma-Informed Care Training in U.S. and Canadian Ob/Gyn Residencies

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Trauma-informed care (TIC) is essential for patient well-being.
• Obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn) settings frequently encounter patients with trauma histories.
• Residency training is a critical period for developing essential clinical skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and nature of trauma-informed care (TIC) training in Ob/Gyn residency programs.
• To assess resident satisfaction with current interpersonal trauma and TIC education.
• To identify barriers to implementing effective TIC training.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Survey of obstetrics and gynecology residency programs.
• Analysis of training frequency, resident satisfaction, and implementation barriers.

Main Results:

• Only 20% of programs offered annual TIC training; 53% offered less than annual, and 27% offered none.
• A significant majority (74.7%) of respondents were not satisfied with their interpersonal trauma and TIC training.
• Lack of qualified facilitators was the primary barrier to implementing TIC training.

Conclusions:

• There is a substantial gap in trauma-informed care education within Ob/Gyn residency programs.
• Resident satisfaction with current TIC training is low, indicating a need for improvement.
• Addressing the shortage of facilitators is key to enhancing TIC training for future Ob/Gyn physicians.