Comparison of Outcomes Between Professions Following an Interprofessional Continuing Education Program to Enhance Trauma Care for Children

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of children exposed to a potentially traumatic event (PTE), or Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) is high, with exposure to long-lasting and severe PTEs and ACEs associated with negative health outcomes. Health care professionals who predominantly work with the paediatric population have limited training on how to screen, assess, and treat children after exposure. This study aimed to assess differences in learner outcomes between three healthcare provider types (PCPs, behavioural health providers, and other care team members [e.g. nurses, community health workers]) after participating in a continuing education programme designed to improve health outcomes of paediatric patients experiencing trauma. Learner outcomes were assessed as pre- and post-series changes in self-reported knowledge, self-efficacy, skills, and attitudes related to the programme’s learning objectives. Self-reported learner outcomes of 31 participants revealed significant increases in knowledge among all provider types, and significant increases in self-efficacy and skills for behavioural health providers and care team members. Additionally, results revealed that behavioural health providers significantly outperformed medical providers in self-efficacy and skills outcomes. These findings suggest that interprofessional continuing education programmes to enhance trauma care can be successful at training PCPs, behavioural health providers, and care team members, but learner outcomes may vary by discipline.

KEYWORDS:

• Interdisciplinary training
• telementoring
• Project ECHO
• childhood trauma
• adverse childhood experiences
• United States

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the National Council for Mental Wellbeing for their support and partnership. Finally, we would like to thank the faculty that led the ECHO sessions: Pamela Black, MA, MEd, Terence Fitzgerald, PhD, MEd, MSW, Georgette Harrison, EdM, LPC, R. Timothy Kearney, PhD, Naomi Schapiro, RN, PhD, CPNP-PC, Jessica Welt, PsyD, and additional guest faculty members. To learn more about Weitzman ECHO Childhood Trauma, visit https://www.weitzmaninstitute.org/education/weitzman-echo/childhood-trauma/.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Author Contributions

MK wrote the manuscript, reviewed the manuscript, designed the evaluation plan, and conducted the statistical analyses. AP wrote the manuscript, reviewed the manuscript, performed the literature review, and assisted with the evaluation design. RM wrote the manuscript, reviewed the manuscript, performed the literature review, and assisted with the evaluation design. RO wrote the manuscript, reviewed the manuscript, and performed the literature review. MM wrote the manuscript, reviewed the manuscript, assisted with the evaluation design, and assisted with the statistical analyses. SAB wrote the manuscript and reviewed the manuscript. KA critically reviewed the manuscript. MO critically reviewed the manuscript.

Data Availability Statement

The participants of this study did not give written consent for their data to be shared publicly. The IRB approved our application on an exemption basis. So, due to the sensitive nature of the research supporting data is not available.

Ethical Approval

The study was approved as exempt by the Community Health Center Inc. Institutional Review Board (IRB) and a waiver of informed consent was approved by the IRB [Approval date: 2/10/2023].

Statement

This manuscript has not been published elsewhere.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported by the Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and operated by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. The views, opinions, and content expressed in this manuscript do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).