Trauma-Informed Care as a Universal Precaution: A Brief, Case-Based, Educational Primer Featuring Role-Playing and...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) implementation in standard medical practices is insufficient despite growing recognition.
• Healthcare professionals face challenges like moral injury and burnout when dealing with complex patient cases.
• A need exists for practical, accessible training to enhance provider compassion and TIC competency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a workshop designed to enhance compassion and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) knowledge among healthcare providers.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of a 90-minute TIC workshop on healthcare professionals' self-perceived knowledge and practice.

Main Methods:

• A 90-minute workshop was created by a multidisciplinary team, incorporating didactics, role-playing, self-reflection, and debriefing based on patient encounters.
• The workshop was presented at two academic meetings and is available as an open-sourced website.
• Surveys assessed baseline knowledge, workshop satisfaction, and self-perceived pre- and post-knowledge changes in approximately 80 participants.

Main Results:

• Nearly 90% of participants had limited prior exposure to TIC.
• All participants rated the workshop highly, with nearly 95% reporting it would impact their daily practice.
• Statistically significant improvements in self-perceived pre- and post-knowledge of TIC were observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) workshop is feasible and highly rated by healthcare professionals.
• This training has the potential to increase healthcare professionals' capacity to provide compassionate care.
• The workshop may help decrease moral injury and alleviate burnout associated with challenging patient cases.