A Framework for the Development of Healthcare Provider Education Programs on Human Trafficking Part One: Experts

Author: Stoklosa, Hanni; Miller, Cathy; Duke, Gloria & Chisolm-Straker, Makini

Abstract: Awareness of Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is increasing and healthcare providers (HCP) are seeing increased numbers of trafficked persons (TP) in healthcare settings. Yet HCPs report that they have insufficient training to adequately recognize, intervene, and appropriately refer TPs. Organizations have responded by creating HCP education on TIPs in varying degrees of length, quality, and content. To obtain consensus on HT curricular content for HCP and create a framework to guide the development of quality, evidence-based HCP education on TIPs. A mixed-methods two-round Delphi method was deployed to identify what content HT subject-matter experts deemed important for inclusion in HCP educational programs. Experts were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed qualitatively, using thematic analysis and quantitatively using the Individual Content Validity Index (ICVI). Qualitative analysis identified 49 themes reflecting sub-content areas to be included in HCP education programs. Ten sub-content areas achieved perfect consensus with ICVIs of 1.0. Results are presented in a series: Article One-Expert results, Article two-Survivor results, and article three recommendations and guidelines for developing healthcare provider education programs. HT subject-matter expert consensus and the resulting framework, guidelines, and recommendations provide the first evidence-based framework to guide the development, deployment, and evaluation of HCP education on TIPs that is generalizable to organizations with varying resources, time allotted, and HCP audiences.

Keywords: Human trafficking, mixed-methods, medical education, Delphi, trauma-informed care