DETERMINING THE EFFICACY FOR TRAINING MEDICAL STUDENTS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR SUPPORT
Location
Mt. Mitchell Room 220
Start Date
4-5-2018 8:00 AM
End Date
4-5-2018 12:00 PM
Poster Number
136
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Dawn Tuell, MD
Faculty Sponsor's Department
Department of Pediatrics
Type
Poster: Competitive
Project's Category
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Domestic violence and sexual assault (DVSA) are major health issues on which medical schools across the country fail to adequately educate future physicians. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men will be a victim of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. The same source reports that one in five women are raped in their lifetime. Because of the widespread nature of these societal problems, the aim of this research was to evaluate the benefit of providing medical students with DVSA education. First and second year medical students at the Quillen College of Medicine attended a mandatory educational lecture on DVSA. We designed a survey to assess the attitudes and knowledge surrounding patient care for DVSA survivors. Students volunteered to complete the same survey before and after the lecture. The surveys were evaluated for statistical significance. A paired t-test showed that the 128 students who took the survey reported a significant increase in comfort level on interviewing, performing a physical exam, and explaining resources to victims of DVSA. Questions regarding knowledge of who should lead exams and the role of emergency contraception in cases of sexual assault also showed statistically significant change by paired t-test analysis following the educational intervention. These findings suggest that medical schools should integrate curriculum on DVSA survivor support in order to increase comfort and knowledge of future physicians in addressing these sensitive topics.
DETERMINING THE EFFICACY FOR TRAINING MEDICAL STUDENTS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR SUPPORT
Mt. Mitchell Room 220
Domestic violence and sexual assault (DVSA) are major health issues on which medical schools across the country fail to adequately educate future physicians. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men will be a victim of intimate partner violence in their lifetime. The same source reports that one in five women are raped in their lifetime. Because of the widespread nature of these societal problems, the aim of this research was to evaluate the benefit of providing medical students with DVSA education. First and second year medical students at the Quillen College of Medicine attended a mandatory educational lecture on DVSA. We designed a survey to assess the attitudes and knowledge surrounding patient care for DVSA survivors. Students volunteered to complete the same survey before and after the lecture. The surveys were evaluated for statistical significance. A paired t-test showed that the 128 students who took the survey reported a significant increase in comfort level on interviewing, performing a physical exam, and explaining resources to victims of DVSA. Questions regarding knowledge of who should lead exams and the role of emergency contraception in cases of sexual assault also showed statistically significant change by paired t-test analysis following the educational intervention. These findings suggest that medical schools should integrate curriculum on DVSA survivor support in order to increase comfort and knowledge of future physicians in addressing these sensitive topics.