Evaluating Student and Faculty Perspectives About the Integration of Trauma-Informed Care in Undergraduate Medical Education

Trauma-informed care (TIC) provides a framework for understanding and mitigating trauma's impact on health. Integrating TIC principles into medical school education equips physicians with the skills necessary for delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.

A survey regarding experiences with TIC education was emailed to medical students and faculty at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. Qualitative and standard quantitative analysis of the results was performed.

A significant majority of faculty (83.7%) and students (92.5%) recognized the relevance of TIC to clinical practice. However, only 37.0% of faculty reported incorporating TIC into their teaching. Despite its acknowledged importance, only 20.4% of students felt satisfied with how TIC was taught. On a Likert scale of 1-5, students reported a comfort level of 1-2 for trauma-informed screenings (31.5%) and physical examinations (62.9%). Proposed solutions to increase TIC education included the implementation of longitudinal curricula, workshops, and conversations about trauma when interacting with patients.

TIC is perceived as relevant to medical education and practice among students and faculty. However, its integration into the undergraduate medical education curriculum is sporadic. Although certain courses incorporate TIC, a cohesive teaching approach throughout the curriculum is lacking. There is uncertainty among faculty regarding the definition of TIC and what aspects may be lacking in the curriculum, highlighting a gap in knowledge and application. The intermittent teaching of TIC affects students' ability to fully understand the impact of trauma in the clinical setting. The authors' results supported the integration of a more comprehensive TIC education in undergraduate medical curricula.