Today I want to touch on a topic that you may or may not have heard about – it is called trauma-informed care, and much of the information in today’s post comes from a great article from Harvard that can be found here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trauma-informed-care-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-2018101613562
Trauma-informed care is being described in the healthcare setting as a way to consider how a patient’s history of trauma may impact their interactions in the healthcare system. Trauma-informed care includes practices of safety, empowerment, and healing, and considers the sobering reality that many patients have experienced trauma in their lives. Realizing that trauma is common is a big part of integrating trauma-informed care into hospitals and clinics.
Another aspect is to recognize that there are many forms of trauma, which can translate into showing more open-mindedness and compassion with patients. Some practices of trauma-informed care include: explaining why you are asking potentially sensitive questions, explaining why you need to perform a physical exam, and letting the patient know they can stop or refuse a test or procedure. Overall, it may be best to assume that every patient has some trauma in their history, and act accordingly. This does not mean a provider needs to ask every patient for details about their trauma history, but to be aware that it might have an effect on their interaction with a patient.
I think the concept of trauma-informed care is important, and I am glad to see that the healthcare system is working on including it. I also think that this idea can be applied to other areas outside of healthcare, because a history of trauma can show up in many different places.
How do you feel about trauma-informed care? Have you heard of this concept before? Have you experienced trauma-informed care in action? My hope is that we will continue to see more of this type of care and consideration.