From the Guidelines
Healthcare organizations should prioritize a multifaceted approach to combat human trafficking, focusing on comprehensive screening protocols, staff training, and clear referral pathways, as these interventions have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for victims and reduce morbidity and mortality associated with trafficking. To achieve this, a comprehensive screening protocol should be implemented in emergency departments and primary care settings, incorporating trauma-informed screening questions into the electronic health record system with mandatory fields to ensure consistent implementation 1. Key components of this approach include:
- Training all staff to recognize trafficking indicators, including unexplained injuries, inconsistent medical histories, controlling companions, and signs of malnourishment or abuse
- Establishing a designated human trafficking response team with representatives from nursing, social work, security, and administration to coordinate care for identified victims
- Maintaining updated contact information for local law enforcement, shelters, legal aid, and social services specializing in trafficking victims
- Implementing quality improvement metrics to track screening completion rates, identification of potential victims, appropriate referrals made, and staff training compliance The most recent and highest quality study on diversity training goals, limitations, and promise supports the importance of a culturally competent approach in service delivery, emphasizing both knowledge and skills relevant to culturally competent services 1. This approach is crucial as healthcare providers are often the only professionals who interact with trafficking victims while they are still in captivity, creating a critical intervention opportunity. The trauma-informed approach is necessary as many victims have experienced severe psychological trauma and may be reluctant to disclose their situation due to fear, shame, or threats from traffickers. By prioritizing these interventions, healthcare organizations can play a critical role in reducing the morbidity, mortality, and negative impact on quality of life associated with human trafficking.
From the Research
Quality Change Ideas in Healthcare
- Implementing human trafficking identification training for healthcare providers, including the use of validated screening tools and timely provision of resources 2
- Providing holistic care to potential victims of human trafficking, guided by the core values of holistic nursing practice and Watson's Theory of Human Caring 2
- Standardizing human trafficking training content to ensure correct information, trauma-informed and patient-centered care, and consistent messaging for healthcare professionals 3
- Developing evaluation metrics for human trafficking training to demonstrate behavior change and impact on service delivery and patient-centered outcomes for victims 3
Human Trafficking Prevention Strategies
- Delivering tailored interventions to patients and families to address individual- and relationship-level risk factors for human trafficking in the healthcare setting 4
- Collaborating across sectors to implement community- and society-level prevention strategies, such as enhancing awareness of human trafficking through education and advocating for local and national policies that promote community health and wellness 4
- Combating social or cultural norms that contribute to human trafficking and building a strong evidence-base to guide future human trafficking prevention programs 4
Healthcare Provider Knowledge and Training
- Providing formal training in human trafficking for healthcare providers, with 93% of respondents believing they would benefit from such training 5
- Designing a universally appropriate curriculum on human trafficking that is accessible to all healthcare providers, as well as mandatory training programs for healthcare institutions 5
- Addressing significant differences in knowledge of human trafficking by age group, region, and educational training level, to ensure that all healthcare providers have the necessary knowledge and skills to identify and respond to victims of human trafficking 5
Survivor-Centered Care
- Implementing Compassionate Care approaches when caring for sex trafficking patients, including trust building, rapport, and an opportunity to instill hope among patients 6
- Gathering recommendations from sex trafficking survivors to improve healthcare practice in response to their medical needs in a compassionate and caring manner 6
- Identifying "red flags" and providing supportive healthcare practices and resources for sex trafficking patients, to positively impact patient-provider interactions and create opportunities for intervention 6