Addressing a Gap in Medical School Training: Identifying and Caring for Human Trafficking Survivors Using Trauma-Informed Care

Abstract

Introduction Human trafficking (HT) is a substantial public health problem, and health care workers are uniquely positioned to help identify and care for survivors. Despite this fact, few medical schools incorporate HT training using trauma-informed care (TIC) principles into their curricula. We developed a training session to educate medical students on recognizing HT red flags and providing TIC to HT survivors. Methods One hundred twenty-seven fourth-year medical students at Rush Medical College attended a 2-hour session consisting of didactic lectures by expert speakers and participated in a group discussion guided by a clinical vignette. Students completed anonymous pre- and postsession surveys that assessed comfort levels in detecting HT red flags and providing TIC. We used a paired t test to compare pre- and postsession survey responses. Results Ninety-five pre- and postsession surveys were matched with unique identifiers and used for analysis. The results demonstrated significant improvement in all the metrics assessed. Discussion This training significantly improved medical students’ comfort in identifying and caring for HT survivors, addressing an especially important gap in medical school education. This training can be implemented at other institutions to further improve awareness and efforts in identifying and caring for HT survivors while avoiding retraumatization.

Keywords

• Child Sex Trafficking
• Human Trafficking
• Labor Trafficking
• Sex Trafficking
• Patient-Centered Care
• Red Flags