C4 – PCPs Face Complex Challenges Integrating Trauma-Informed Care and PTSD Screening/Management into Routine Patient Care

Summary

Recognizing and addressing adverse childhood experiences, exposure to lifetime trauma, posttraumatic stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder have increasingly been prioritized in primary care. While few would argue against expanding education and training medical providers on this topic, it is equally critical to understand the individual, relational, and system-level challenges practicing PCPs face in integrating trauma-informed principles and PTSD screening and management into routine patient care. This presentation will review qualitative survey data from a Department of Family Medicine and Community Health listserv of practicing primary care providers. PCPs were asked to consider the following question, “Think about your day-to-day practice as a primary care provider. Identify three specific challenges (individual or system level) you’ve encountered trying to integrate trauma-informed care into your routine patient care.”Nearly 100 qualitative responses were collected and reveal nuanced and complex challenges that make it difficult for practicing PCPs to address this important component of their patients’ health. The presenters will focus on examining themes across reported challenges, exploring individual and system-level root causes of challenges, and providing recommendations for acknowledging and addressing these challenges in training and practice.