Background

Child maltreatment is an important public health problem with serious consequences. Even in the face of increased research and enhanced public awareness over the last decade, the rate of child fatalities due to reported child maltreatment has increased.

Objective

This study describes pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians' knowledge, training, confidence, and barriers in recognition and reporting suspected child maltreatment.

Participants and setting

A nationally representative sample of PEM physician members of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Collaborative Research Committee (PEM CRC) participated.

Methods

A cross-sectional 36-item survey study of PEM physicians with content domains including provider knowledge, preparedness, confidence, and barriers to identifying and reporting child maltreatment was conducted and distributed.

Results

113 of 486 members completed the survey. Confidence with recognizing and reporting child abuse (95%) was greater than in child neglect (88%). Knowledge in child maltreatment recognition and reporting was significantly correlated with confidence in reporting and recognition (p < 0.001). There was a significant relationship between knowledge and confidence for respondents from states with training in child maltreatment recognition and reporting requirement as a condition of licensure and re-licensure compared to states without the requirement (p < 0.01). Qualitative responses revealed insightful themes to improve child maltreatment training, recognition and reporting.

Conclusion

Our national survey study demonstrates that PEM-trained physicians have high confidence and knowledge with the management of child maltreatment, and that inclusion of mandated child maltreatment training in residency/fellowship and mandated training for medical licensure in all states could improve child maltreatment recognition and reporting.

中文翻译：

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一项关于改善儿童虐待识别教育和报告虐待和忽视儿童的儿科急诊医师全国调查

背景

虐待儿童是一个具有严重后果的重要公共卫生问题。即使在过去十年中研究的增加和公众意识的提高，由于报告的虐待儿童而导致的儿童死亡率也有所增加。

客观的

本研究描述了儿科急诊医学 (PEM) 医生在识别和报告疑似虐待儿童方面的知识、培训、信心和障碍。

参与者和设置

儿科急诊医学合作研究委员会 (PEM CRC) 的 PEM 医师成员的全国代表性样本参加了会议。

方法

对 PEM 医生进行了一项 36 项横断面调查研究，其内容领域包括提供者知识、准备情况、信心以及识别和报告虐待儿童的障碍。

结果

486 名成员中有 113 名完成了调查。识别和报告虐待儿童的信心（95%）高于忽视儿童的信心（88%）。虐待儿童识别和报告方面的知识与报告和识别的信心显着相关（p  < 0.001）。与没有要求的州相比，来自接受过虐待儿童识别和报告要求培训的州的受访者的知识和信心之间存在显着关系，作为许可和重新许可的条件（p  < 0.01）。定性答复揭示了有见地的主题，以改善虐待儿童的培训、识别和报告。

结论

我们的全国调查研究表明，受过 PEM 培训的医生对虐待儿童的管理有很高的信心和知识，并且在所有州将强制性的儿童虐待培训纳入住院医师/奖学金和医疗执照的强制性培训可以提高虐待儿童的识别和报告.