O4303: Using Foster/adoptive Parent Perspective Videos to Teach Trauma Informed Care in a Pediatric Residency Program

Background: Trauma-informed care (TIC) in pediatrics assesses, recognizes, and responds to the effects of traumatic stress in families and providers. Training in TIC for pediatricians is under development. Adult education is trending toward use of varied teaching modalities to improve efficiency and learner engagement; and social media is increasingly used to share and receive information in the form of short videos. At the same time, parents are being recognized as an important member of the interdisciplinary care team of pediatric patients. We employed a novel teaching method of soliciting short videos from foster/adoptive parents, presenting their perspective, in a training for pediatric residents on how to deliver TIC.

Methods: Forty-four pediatric residents received one 3-hour training module on trauma informed care (TIC) as part of a year-long curriculum on social determinants of health. We solicited parents of children who have experienced foster care or adoption, through a social media platform, to create and submit a short video of themselves answering the question “What do you think all pediatricians should know about being trauma-informed or about parenting a child with a history of foster care or adoption?” Ten videos, 3-5 minutes in length, were received and shown at intervals during the training module. Using pre- and post- surveys, residents evaluated this novel teaching method. The survey utilized both 5-point Likert scales and free-text response to evaluate their perception of the use of parent perspective videos on their knowledge, attitudes, and likely actions, related to providing TIC.

Results: In performing paired t-tests to compare ratings before and after the training, results showed a statistically significant improvement in understanding of effects of adversity on health and mental health, confidence in educating parents, and ability to use strategies to reduce medical trauma (p < 0.001), as shown in Figure 1. One sample t-test of post-intervention surveys, compared to neutral response, showed effectiveness of parent perspective videos to increase knowledge of the subject: Mean=4.32, SD=0.67, t(43)=12.97, p< 0.001, change in attitude toward caregivers of children: Mean=4.18, SD=1.02, t(43)= 7.70, p< 0.001, and likely change in the way they interact with families: Mean=4.16, SD=0.75, t(43)=3.97, p< 0.001, as shown in Figure 2. Thematic analysis of qualitative responses suggest use of parent perspective videos increased awareness, understanding, and empathy toward families who have experienced foster care and adoption, ultimately leading to increased respect.

Conclusion: Based on significantly positive results in quantitative and qualitative data, the authors assert this novel teaching method could be used to provide parent or patient perspectives in many subjects of medical education, including sensitive topics such as trauma-informed care.