Human Trafficking: Emergency Department Screening and Referral

Our objective was to initiate screening for human trafficking in the University of Cincinnati Medical Center Emergency Department (UCMC ED) and then estimate the number of patients who were at risk of human trafficking and the proportion who were referred for further services.

A retrospective study was conducted at the UCMC ED, a large urban academic center emergency department, to describe the number of patients who screened positive for human trafficking risk and received relevant resources over a 12-month period between December 2022 and November 2023. Any patient who was approached by an early intervention program (EIP) counselor and completed a risk assessment was included. A person was considered to have a positive screen if they answered affirmatively to at least 1 of the 4 screening questions included in the previously validated Rapid Appraisal for Trafficking tool. Acceptance of referrals was also recorded by the EIP team and is reported here.

Out of 557 patients assessed, 69 (12.4%) screened positive for risk of human trafficking. Of those, 39 (56.5%) patients accepted referrals to resources specific to trafficked persons, and 60 (87%) accepted referrals to any resources, including assistance with housing, substance use disorders, and food insecurity.

Human trafficking is a problem affecting ED patients. The proportion of individuals who screened positive for trafficking risk and accepted resources indicates that many patients are willing to accept assistance. EDs should institute a mechanism to screen for human trafficking and offer services to address trafficking and other social determinants of health.