This study investigated how physicians, nurses, and social workers in community health care services make judgements about possible child maltreatment in ambiguous situations. We examined the influences of social biases (i.e., perceptions linking ethnicity, gender, and family socioeconomic status to child maltreatment) and belonging to distinctive occupational groups (i.e., physicians, nurses, and social workers) on professionals' assessment of suspected child maltreatment, intention to consult with others, and reporting. We used an experimental survey design including vignettes presenting a child's history inspired by real-life clinical cases. Data were collected from 397 health care professionals—170 physicians, 179 nurses, and 48 social workers—employed at community health care clinics in northern Israel. Findings show that the child's gender and family socioeconomic status had significant effects on assessment of possible child maltreatment. Also, professionals' occupational group had significant effects on assessment of child maltreatment and intention to pursue consultation. Another key finding was the significant effects of judgements about child maltreatment assessment, consultation, and reporting on one another. The study reinforces efforts to improve health care professionals' management of suspected child maltreatment that include the development of clinical decision support systems that use routinely collected electronic medical record data.

中文翻译：

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医生、护士和社会工作者对社区卫生保健服务中疑似虐待儿童的判断

本研究调查了社区医疗保健服务中的医生、护士和社会工作者如何在模棱两可的情况下对可能的儿童虐待做出判断。我们研究了社会偏见（即，将种族、性别和家庭社会经济地位与虐待儿童联系起来的看法）和属于不同职业群体（即，医生、护士和社会工作者）对专业人员对疑似虐待儿童的评估的影响，意向与他人协商，并报告。我们使用了一项实验性调查设计，其中包括展示受真实临床病例启发的儿童病史的小插曲。数据收集自受雇于以色列北部社区医疗保健诊所的 397 名医疗保健专业人员——170 名医生、179 名护士和 48 名社会工作者。调查结果表明，儿童的性别和家庭社会经济地位对评估可能的儿童虐待有重大影响。此外，专业人员的职业群体对虐待儿童的评估和寻求咨询的意愿有显着影响。另一项重要发现是关于儿童虐待评估、咨询和相互报告的判断的显着影响。该研究加强了改善医疗保健专业人员对疑似虐待儿童的管理的努力，包括开发使用常规收集的电子病历数据的临床决策支持系统。职业群体对虐待儿童的评估和寻求咨询的意愿有显着影响。另一项重要发现是关于儿童虐待评估、咨询和相互报告的判断的显着影响。该研究加强了改善医疗保健专业人员对疑似虐待儿童的管理的努力，包括开发使用常规收集的电子病历数据的临床决策支持系统。职业群体对虐待儿童的评估和寻求咨询的意愿有显着影响。另一项重要发现是关于儿童虐待评估、咨询和相互报告的判断的显着影响。该研究加强了改善医疗保健专业人员对疑似虐待儿童的管理的努力，包括开发使用常规收集的电子病历数据的临床决策支持系统。