PMID: 12066017

Issn Print: 0749-5161

Publication Date: 2002/06/01


Print

Knowledge and attitude assessment and education of prehospital personnel in child abuse and neglect: Report of a National Blue Ribbon Panel

DAVID MARKENSON; GEORGE FOLTIN; MICHAEL TUNIK; ARTHUR COOPER; HEDDA MATZA-HAUGHTON; LENORA OLSON; MARSHA TREIBER

+ Author Information

Author Information: †

    loading  Checking for direct PDF access through Ovid

Excerpt

Violence against children, specifically in the area of child maltreatment, is a public health concern that has reached epidemic proportions. Prehospital providers, who often witness scenes of child abuse and neglect, can fill an essential role in identifying neglect and abuse in the home, at school, and in other locations.
In October 2001, a blue ribbon panel of national experts in emergency medical services (EMS), emergency medical services for children (EMSC), and child protection services (CPS) convened to discuss the prehospital provider’s role in identifying and reporting suspected child abuse and neglect. Significantly, this marked the first time national experts from the worlds of child protection and EMSC met face-to-face to address this issue. With expertise in EMS education, pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric surgery, psychiatry and psychology, social work, legal practice, law enforcement, and fire and rescue services, the participants represented the entire continuum of care for at-risk children. When all available services are used and integrated, children are kept from falling through the cracks, and the highest quality of care possible is provided for them.
Guided by research findings from a national survey conducted by the Center for Pediatric Emergency Medicine (CPEM), the panel’s goals were to:
This article presents a summary of their findings.
    loading  Loading Related Articles