Utilization of Lecture-Based and Simulation-Based Teaching of Trauma-Informed Care in First-Year Medical Curriculum

Abstract

Introduction: Trauma-informed care (TIC) has become increasingly recognized in clinical practice and medical education. It is essential that medical students understand how to provide care using a trauma-informed approach before entering the clinical environment. With various modalities for teaching TIC, best practices for medical student education should be established. Therefore, instructional methods for teaching TIC principles must be evaluated with similar appraisal to other clinical skills. Objective: This study evaluates the effectiveness of an introductory trauma lecture and intimate partner violence (IPV) simulation in teaching TIC to medical students. Methods: First-year IUSM-Bloomington medical students attended a 1-hour lecture about trauma followed by an optional peer-led IPV simulation. De-identified data was collected at this time for quality improvement, including a pre/post-lecture survey (n=29), and a post-simulation survey (n=5) and focus group transcription (n=6). The present study used retrospective analysis to further explore this data. Lecture survey data was analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. De-identified data for dissemination was deemed not human-subjects research. Results: Lecture survey data indicated that participants felt significantly more confident in identifying red flags of domestic violence, mandatory reporting, safety planning, and considering TIC in patient encounters. Simulation survey data revealed decreased confidence with TIC, which participants attributed to an awareness of their limited knowledge. During the focus group, participants recognized the simulation as an effective learning tool and emphasized the importance of widespread TIC education and more practice-based learning opportunities. Conclusions: The data suggest that lecture based-learning can increase medical student confidence in their ability to conduct TIC. Additionally, simulation-based learning provides a potential avenue to advance TIC education. Students express favorable views towards experiential learning through simulation and report positive learning outcomes. Integrating TIC curriculum into medical school could enhance students’ confidence in applying a trauma focused approach to patient care.