![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Learning Objective 1: identify three methods utilized by sexual assault nurse examiners to teach emergency medicine residents to perform sexual assault exams.
Learning Objective 2: identify five core themes taught by sexual assault nurse examiners to emergency medicine residents about the medical forensic exam.
Background: The Model of Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine (EM) includes sexual assault among the skills important for emergency physicians.
Objective; To assess if a course teaching sexual assault exam skills can improve EM residents' comfort and willingness to perform these exams in their practice.
Methods: Second-year EM residents participated in a 2 hour sexual assault course at Indiana University conducted by sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE). Residents rotated through three sessions: forensic examination, forensic documentation, and forensic photography. Two female volunteers simulated identical clinical scenarios for the forensic documentation and examination sessions. Residents practiced effective forensic photography with the SANE instructor. They completed a 13 item survey before and after the completion of the course to assess their comfort, knowledge, and biases regarding the treatment of sexual assault patients. Answers used 10-point Likert scales and statistics were performed using SAS version 9.1. Statistical significance was determined by p<0.05. The Indiana University institutional review board approved this study.
Results: Twelve PGY II residents participated in this course. Nine of the 13 survey questions had statistically significant differences between the pre and post session responses. Residents reported an increased comfort in performing sexual assault exams (p<0.002), obtaining a sexual assault history (p<0.004), obtaining evidence from a sexual assault victims (p<0.001), and taking forensic photographs (p<0.001). We found a significant increase in correct answers for questions designed to assess knowledge regarding sexual assault (p<0.003). Residents expressed more willingness to perform a sexual assault exam following the course (p<0.003).
Conclusion: A two-hour course taught by SANEs using standardized patients significantly improves EM residents' comfort and knowledge regarding the treatment and assessment of sexual assault patients.
NOTE: This course has been taught again to EM residents and additional data will be available at the time of presentation.