Improving Physician Confidence in the Care of Adult and Adolescent Sexual Assault Patients
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2021
Abstract
The purpose of this project is to improve emergency medicine (EM) physician preparedness and subsequently patient outcomes by bridging the knowledge gap EM physicians possess on the care of adult/adolescent sexual assault patients in their department. This education was provided to 1st-year EM resident physicians at a Level 1 trauma center in Chicago, Illinois. A Likert scale survey was administered before and after the lecture to test the participant’s response to the education. Pretest results showed residents felt strongly that they were not prepared to provide care to sexual assault patients. Posttest results showed residents felt much more prepared to provide care to sexual assault patients and understood who and where their resources are if they need help during a medical forensic exam. It was concluded that it is beneficial to provide education on the medical and forensic care of sexual assault patients to EM residents.
