Simulation-Based Trauma-Informed Care Education Instills Empathy and Improves Clinician Practices Towards Refugee and Migrant Populations

Introduction: Refugee and migrant communities carry histories wrought with trauma. These traumas and trauma-related responses often contribute to feelings of mistrust towards Western health care systems and can additionally foster negative clinician biases (conscious or unconscious) and attitudes towards these communities. Consequently, clinicians often fail to uncover underlying causes of poor health and distress for their refugee and migrant patients.

Methods: To dismantle biases and cultivate empathy towards refugee and migrant patients, we developed a 1-hour simulation-based educational workshop to train clinicians to think critically about incorporating trauma-informed care (TIC) for these patients' unique needs. We introduced this tool to the GME curricula at Texas Tech University (n = 36) and to the UME curricula at Albany Medical College (n = 43). Using pre- and postquestionnaires, we analyzed the impact of this workshop on participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding TIC for migrant and refugee populations (n = 44).

Results: This tool positively influenced students' and residents' knowledge and attitudes regarding TIC and displaced peoples, and learners expressed greater willingness to incorporate TIC into clinical practice (p < .001). Additionally, residents self-reported percentage increases in behaviors that promote equitable care for refugee and migrant patients 6 months postintervention.

Discussion: This training enhanced clinicians' trauma-informed practices towards refugee and migrant patients, with learners qualitatively expressing a greater sense of empathy towards this community. While measuring the impact on learners' empathy requires further assessment, this educational innovation's preliminary success provides a foundation for the role of simulation-based learning in medical education.