"Trauma-Informed Care Is Definitely Lacking": Survivors' Perspectives on Emergency Department Care

This study aimed to better understand the emergency department (ED) care experiences among survivors of interpersonal violence and sexual assault in Canada, irrespective of whether the ED visit was directly related to an experience of violence. A narrative-based, mixed-methods sensemaking tool called Spryng.io^® collected anonymous micronarratives about survivors' ED care experiences. Qualitative data arising from participants' micronarratives (n = 62) were coded line-by-line and analyzed thematically using NVIVO 12. The thematic analysis revealed three prominent themes: (a) staff communication, behavior, and attitudes; (b) medical care; and (c) environmental safety Overall, survivors tended to report positive perceptions of health care providers (HCPs) who were empathetic and caring, mixed opinions about medical care received, and negative experiences when they felt unsafe due to the ED's physical environment. Furthermore, survivors with intersecting equity-deserving identities often had more negative ED care experiences due to feeling judged and stigmatized by HCPs and uncaring staff attitudes. Our findings suggest that past traumatic experiences may continue to contribute to patients' current perceptions of ED care, thereby furthering the call for trauma-informed care in medicine.