Presenters
Summary
More than twenty years of research has confirmed a relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and poor health outcomes. Associations of ACEs and future suicide attempts, problematic drug use, sexually transmitted infections, mood and anxiety disorders, and respiratory disease are particularly strong. In response to this finding, primary care stakeholders have proposed screening children and adults for ACEs. Unfortunately, the impact of these screening programs on health outcomes has not been well established. As with all screening programs in primary care it is necessary to establish the expected benefits and potential harms of ACEs screening, prior to establishing policies and workflows for routine screening. This presentation will briefly review the evidence and gaps in evidence associated with universal and targeted screening for ACEs. The evidence for primary care interventions for addressing ACEs will also be reviewed. Small and large group discussions will clarify the expected benefits and potential harms associated with screening for ACEs. The presentation and discussions will explore the relative risks and benefits of screening for ACEs in adult vs. pediatric populations. Additional considerations, for clinicians working in diverse settings with diverse populations. Finally, the presenters will compare and contrast a universal education approach to addressing trauma with a screening approach to identify patients with ACEs.
Objectives
- Describe the evidence supporting screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences.
- Describe the potential benefits and harms associated with screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences.
- Compare and contrast a universal education approach to addressing trauma with a screening approach for Adverse Childhood Experiences.
