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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to discuss five barriers that medical professionals identified that led to under-reporting suspected child abuse.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to discuss three areas of attention needed to potentially increase the reporting of suspected child abuse by medical professionals.
Objective: To investigate the characteristics for reporting of suspected child abuse/neglect amoung medical professionals.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Indiana University using a 16 item survery. We found no previously validated instrument related to our objective; thus, we developed and instrument that was then reviewd by an expert panel. The survey was administered to physicians, nurses, and pre-hospital providers in a level 1 trauma center, 8 outpatient clinics, and the metro fire department. Surveys were emailed to physicians and handed to the remaining participants for completion and immediate collection. The characteristics of reporting that were recorded include: knowledge required to diagnose abuse, methods to report suspected abuse, awareness of available resources, and perceptions toward reporting procedures. Analyses was performed using SAS version 9.1 and alpha was set at p<0.05. The study was approved by the Indiana University Institutional Review Board.
Results: Of the total participants (n=200), 16% were physicians, 18% nurses, and 56% pre-hospital providers. 90% of participants reported having adequate knowledge to diagnose child abuse; however the primary reason for perceived underreporting was "Unaware of how to file a 310 form". 96% reported that child abuse/neglect was underreported. There was a statistically significant difference between number of cases suspected and those reported among medical professionals (p<0.01). The primary reason given for reluctance to report was "Not enough information to follow up on the suspected case".
Conclusion: We have identified several key characteristics of child abuse/neglect underreporting among healthcare providers and areas for future interventions.