A Scoping Review of Labor and Organ Trafficking Resources for U.S. Healthcare Professionals

Author: Talbott, JMV; Titchen, KE; Mishra, N & Kling, JM

Abstract: To summarize available curricula and identify gaps in publicly available or published educational resources for healthcare professionals on labor and organ trafficking. The following databases were searched to January 2022: Cochrane, Embase, Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Additional educational resources were added through snowball method and gray literature search. Inclusion criteria were materials for healthcare professionals or trainees on labor or organ trafficking published in any year or language. Exclusion criteria were empirical or survey research. The PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist was used. Of the 37 resources which met criteria, 32 (86.5%) defined labor trafficking, 24 (64.9%) described indicators or warning signs, 18 discussed prevention (48.6%), 16 (43.24%) included child labor, 9 (24.3%) were eligible for Continuing Medical Education credit, 8 (21.6%) included organ trafficking, 3 mentioned race or racism (8.12%), and 3 (8.12%) considered trainee education. Labor and organ trafficking directly inhibits progress toward UN Sustainable Development Goals 8, 10, 12, and 16. This scoping review reveals minimal comprehensive published resources for healthcare professionals, which challenges their ability to address human trafficking.

Keywords: review literature, human trafficking, education medical, physicians, students, curriculum