Survey of OB/GYN Residents Knowledge and Practice of Trauma Informed Care

There is a high prevalence of a history of traumatic experiences among those seeking obstetric/gynecologic care. OB/GYN clinicians must use trauma-informed care practices to avoid re-traumatization and to provide supportive care. The objective of this study was to describe the knowledge and use of trauma-informed care practices by OB/GYN residents in the outpatient setting.

A descriptive research design was used. In February 2022, an email with a link to an electronic survey was sent to US OB/GYN residency program directors via a listserv. OB/GYN program directors were asked to forward the survey to residents in their program. The survey included closed-response questions, some of which were Likert scale, to assess the frequency of use of certain trauma-informed care practices during the provision of pelvic examinations.

Seventy US OB/GYN residents responded to the survey. Only half of residents surveyed reported that they practiced trauma-informed care and half reported either not receiving education or were not sure if they had training on the subject. Additionally, half of the respondents were unaware of the ACOG Committee Opinion 825: Care of Patients with History of Trauma.

There was limited use of trauma-informed care practices among OB/GYN residents in this study. Considering the high prevalence of traumatic experiences among individuals seeking gynecologic care, a framework for trauma-informed pelvic exams should be included in the residency curriculum and applied universally.