The Operation of a Training Program for Healthcare Providers on Early Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse Cases

Kwak Young Ho
Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital

The purpose of this study was to develop a certified professional instructor course and to implement a standardized training program for healthcare providers in medical institutions Korea-wide. To develop a certified professional instructor course, the researchers developed a four-hour-long training program that combined lectures and group discussions. The training content consisted of an overview of the evaluation methods for child abuse, detailed lecture notes, group discussions on cases of child abuse, and question-and-answer sessions. To implement a standardized training program Korea-wide, certified professional instructors who completed the course planned the training program for healthcare providers in teaching hospitals and implemented a 1-1.5 hour-long training program. Questionnaires were administered to healthcare workers before and after the training, and three months post-training. The questionnaires evaluated the trainees' level of knowledge, awareness, and self-confidence in reporting child abuse cases, as well as their satisfaction with the training program. As a result of this research project, 100 professionals went through 5 courses to be certified, and 34 training sessions were conducted at 25 hospitals Korea-wide. A total of 1,541 healthcare providers (71.7 % nurses, 16.4 % doctors, 2.9 % emergency medical technicians, and 9.0 % others) participated. The number of healthcare providers participating in the first and second questionnaires was 1,216, and the number of people participating in the third questionnaire was 876. The results of the questionnaire showed that the knowledge score (based on 100 points) increased from 70.9 to 83.5 points before and after the training and went down to 78.1 points 3-months-post training (all p-values <0.001). Using a 10 point-Likert Scale, the willingness scores to report of child abuse before, after and 3 months after the training program were 8.3, 9.0, and 8.6 points, respectively. Satisfaction with the training program was 8.6 and 7.6 after 3 months. In addition, the recommendation indices before and after the training program were 8.6 and 8, respectively. A standardized program increases the confidence and willingness of early child abuse reporting. To encourage active reporting of suspected child abuse cases by healthcare providers, standardized training programs taught by certified instructors are necessary, and training programs expand to primary medical institution healthcare providers as well as large general hospitals.

Keywords: Child abuse, Health care provider, Education