Comparative needs in child abuse education and resources: perceptions from three medical specialties

Introduction : Improvement in child abuse and neglect education has been previously identified as a significant need among physicians. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand specific comparative educational needs regarding child abuse diagnosis and management among physicians...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical education online 2010-01, Vol.15 (1), p.5193
Main Authors: Anderst, Jim, Denise Dowd, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Child
Child abuse
Child Abuse - diagnosis
Child Abuse - prevention & control
Children
Clinical Competence
Courts
Doctors
education
Education, Medical, Graduate
Educational needs
Emergency Medicine - education
Family Practice - education
Female
Focus Groups
Health Resources
Humans
Lectures
Male
Middle Aged
Needs Assessment
Pediatrics - education
Perception
Qualitative Research
Students, Medical
Surveys and Questionnaires
Trend
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Summary:Introduction : Improvement in child abuse and neglect education has been previously identified as a significant need among physicians. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand specific comparative educational needs regarding child abuse diagnosis and management among physicians from differing specialties and practice types. Methods : A total of 22 physicians participated in focus groups (one family practice (FP), one emergency medicine (EM), and one pediatrician group) facilitated by a professional moderator using a semi-structured interview guide. Five specific domains of child abuse education needs were identified from previously published literature. Child abuse education needs were explored across one general and five specific domains, including 1 general impressions of evaluating child abuse, 2 identification and management, 3 education/resource formats, 4 child/caregiver interviews, 5 medical evaluations, and 6 court testimony. Discussions were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim, then analyzed for common themes and differences among the three groups. Results : Participants identified common areas of educational need but the specifics of those needs varied among the groups. Neglect, interviewing, court testimony, and subtle findings of abuse were educational needs for all groups. EM and FP physicians expressed a need for easily accessible education and management tools, with less support for intermittent lectures. All groups may benefit from specialty specific education regarding appropriate medical evaluations of potential cases of abuse/neglect. Conclusions : Significant educational needs exist regarding child abuse/neglect, and educational needs vary based on physician training and practice type. Educational program design may benefit from tailoring to specific physician specialty. Further studies are needed to more clearly identify and evaluate specialty specific educational needs and resources.
ISSN:1087-2981
1087-2981
DOI:10.3402/meo.v15i0.5193