A Framework for the Development of Healthcare Provider Education Programs on Human Trafficking Part Two: Survivors

Background: Previous work indicates that clinicians are seeing patients while they are being trafficked and these patients often have negative healthcare experiences. Survivor-recommended solutions are essential to training healthcare provider (HCPs) to better care for this patient population. Objective: This investigation explored what content survivors of human trafficking (HT) recommend be included in HCP trainings on HT. Additionally, this study described the experiences of trafficking survivors who accessed healthcare to provide context to their recommendations. Methods: A two-round mixed-methods Delphi was deployed to identify what topics trafficking survivors deemed important for inclusion in HCP educational programs. Survivors were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling, and received a $25 Amazon.com gift card for participation. Data was analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis and quantitatively using the Individual Content Validity Index (ICVI) with a predetermined cut-off of 0.78. Results: In phase one, 38 of 51 survivors approached participated; in phase two, 30 of the 38 participated. Participants shared multiple negative clinical care experiences, including inappropriate physical exams, breach of confidentiality, and frank HCP disbelief at patient disclosures. Based on their experiences, participants recommended the following content be included in HCP education: acceptable approaches to physical and psychosocial exams, appropriate patient referral methods, safe discharge planning techniques, and strategies that minimized barriers to effective recognition, intervention and referral for victims. Conclusions: Human trafficking survivors are experts on their lived experiences and have valuable insights into content that is important for inclusion in HCPs’ training on the issue. Survivor participants emphasized measurable and immeasurable content as crucial components of a comprehensive educational program for healthcare providers.