A Novel Tool to Communicate the Needs of Survivors of Trauma to Health Professionals: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Aim(s): To explore the acceptability and feasibility of using a trauma-informed communication tool to convey client needs to health professionals; and to understand the barriers and enablers for clients using the tool.

Design: Mixed methods design pilot study conducted by nurses from a regional community health service in Victoria, Australia, of purposively sampled clients who have a history of sexual assault and/or family violence and clinicians from a primary care service.

Methods: The investigators developed a pocket-sized communication card to convey clients' history of trauma and the clients' emotional and physical needs to health care providers. Pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys using validated scales ('Acceptability of Intervention Measure' and 'Intervention Appropriateness Measure') were administered via anonymous online or paper-based survey.

Results: Sixteen clients completed the pre-intervention survey and 12 clients completed the post-intervention client survey. Seven Nurses and three Social Workers completed the clinician survey. Both clients and clinicians reported high rates of acceptability and appropriateness of the tool on the outcome measures. The most commonly reported barriers to using the tool were clients forgetting to use the card and concern about how health professionals may respond. Content analysis of qualitative data revealed themes categorised as positive impacts (prevention of re-traumatisation), negative impacts (negative response from health professionals) and suggestions for improvement of the tool (developing a digital version, raising clinicians' awareness of the tool).

Conclusion: This novel tool has demonstrated a high degree of acceptability and applicability in a sample of clients with a history of trauma secondary to sexual assault and/or family violence, and community health clinicians, and several positive and negative impacts have been identified. Further research should focus on larger participant numbers and include developing a digital version and a clinician education component.

Implications for the profession and/or patient care: Use of a tool to communicate impacts of trauma may prevent re-telling of traumatic stories by clients and enhance quality of care delivery.

Reporting method: The Good Reporting of a Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) has been used to report the results of this study.

Patient or public contribution: During development of the tool, it was reviewed by a lived experience consumer representative, the health organisations' consumer advisory panel, and a small sample of clients.