Using Trauma-Informed Care in Practice: Evaluation of Internal Medicine Resident Training and Factors Affecting Clinical Use

Introduction: Trauma-informed care (TIC) acknowledges that childhood traumas can profoundly affect health outcomes and aims to creates a safe, nurturing medical environment. TIC curricula in graduate medical education are limited and lacking in assessment of the application of TIC in practice. Methods: This mixed-methods study followed implementation of a 4-hour required training session for 91 internal medicine residents at George Washington University Hospital. Pre- and posttests were administered to determine change in knowledge, attitude, and confidence. Six weeks after the training, individual participant interviews were conducted to ascertain how TIC is practiced in the clinical setting. Results: For the 47 participants with matched pre- and posttest data available, there was a statistically significant score improvement after the session on 13 of 16 items (excluding only 3 attitude items). Six themes emerged: 1) patient characteristics trigger recognition to utilize TIC; 2) time plays a critical role; 3) the acute medical setting is a barrier; 4) the patient-doctor relationship impacts TIC application; 5) concern about next steps influences TIC use; and 6) incorporating TIC requires repetition, practice, and supervisor support. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that a 4-hour TIC session can promote growth in resident knowledge and confidence related to TIC. The findings highlight that TIC education needs to account for contextual factors that can impact its clinical application. A focus on work environment factors such as time, resources, and supervisory support can help to maximize TIC learning, retention, and application in practice.