Child abuse programs and pediatric residency training

Abstract

Child maltreatment has become an increasingly important concern for pediatricians. The purpose of this study was to assess, via mailed questionnaires, the training and resources of pediatric residents in the area of child maltreatment. Responses were received from 72% of all US programs. The median amount of training was eight hours during the first and third years of training and seven hours during the second year, approximately half of this was clinical supervision in the care of maltreated children. Eighty-one percent of programs had an interdisciplinary team for suspected cases of child maltreatment. Only 17 of 167 programs reported a separate budget for their team. Although two thirds of programs were rated as adequate or better, 79% of respondents wanted to strengthen their teaching efforts. There appears to be a limited commitment by residency programs to enhance the competency of pediatricians in the area of child maltreatment. There is a need for improved training and resources.