Funded by:
This educational module was created through the generous grant support from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The goal of this module is to improve the ability of clinicians to recognize accidental versus intentional injuries in order to improve accuracy when reporting the suspicion of child abuse. Child abuse and pediatric emergency medicine experts working at Denver Health Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Colorado compiled these cases that are adapted from real patients seen at these facilities.
The module uses the educational theory of deliberate practice, giving learners the opportunity to practice a skill with direct and immediate feedback. When the learners are exposed to many cases in succession, it provides an experience that would take years for an average medical provider to acquire through clinical practice alone. The goal is not only to help the learner recognize intentional abusive injury, but to also recognize accidental injury and be able to distinguish the two based on clinical findings and historical features. Ultimately, we hope that learners utilizing our educational module will build confidence in their ability to discriminate between accidental and intentional injury findings and use this information in cases where they need to act as a mandatory reporter.
Mandatory abuse reporting requirements for medical practitioners vary by state however, all states impose requirements to some level. To view additional information and an online educational module specific to Colorado visit: http://www.coloradocwts.com/mandated-reporter-training.