RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Primary care experiences of women with a history of childhood trauma and chronic disease
JF Canadian Family Physician
JO Can Fam Physician
FD The College of Family Physicians of Canada
SP 204
OP 211
VO 64
IS 3
A1 Eva Purkey
A1 Rupa Patel
A1 Tracey Beckett
A1 Françoise Mathieu
YR 2018
UL http://www.cfp.ca/content/64/3/204.abstract
AB Objective To understand the primary care experiences of women who have a history of childhood trauma and chronic disease.Design Qualitative study using in-depth interviews with directed content analysis.Setting Family health team in Kingston, Ont.Participants Twenty-six women.Methods Letters of invitation were sent to eligible participants followed by a telephone survey. Women with an adverse childhood experience (ACE) score of 4 or higher and with 2 or more chronic conditions were invited to participate in a one-on-one interview.Main findings Participants were frequent users of health care services. Most had not been asked about ACEs by their family physicians. Most participants believed that their history of ACEs was important to their health and that providers should ask about childhood experiences. When participants discussed their primary care experiences, the following 6 common themes evolved: the importance of continuity of care; challenges with family medicine residents; provider awareness of abuse history; distress due to triggering events; characteristics of clinic staff and space; and engagement in care plans and choice. These discussions revealed that participants’ primary care experiences were not always informed by the principles of trauma-informed care.Conclusion Understanding the effect of ACEs on women’s health is important. Incorporating a trauma-informed approach can be beneficial and enhance the experience of patients. Physicians should learn to ask patients about their childhood experiences, as it is important to their health care.