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By graduation, all medical students should be able to demonstrate appropriate attitudes, core knowledge, and basic skills in assessment and intervention with patients at risk from or experiencing violence. Postgraduate medical training should prepare physicians with specialized knowledge and skills, and faculty development for medical school faculty should promote teaching and research in this area. (MSE)

Methods to develop, implement, and share successful intervention and prevention strategies about domestic violence must become part of public health professionals' training. The Boston University School of Public Health has developed such a course and its results are under ongoing scrutiny.

Domestic violence needs to be recognized and treated in the health care system, preferably through evidence-based care. Issues to confront include legal and ethical issues, prevention, public health, designing relevant research protocols, and outcome measurement.

Context: Human trafficking is an increasingly well-recognized human rights violation that is estimated to involve more than 2 million victims worldwide each year. The health consequences of this issue bring victims into contact with health systems and healthcare providers, thus providing the potential for identification and intervention. A robust healthcare response, however, requires a healthcare workforce that is aware of the health impact of this issue; educated about how to identify and treat affected individuals in a compassionate, culturally aware, and trauma-informed manner; and trained about how to collaborate efficiently with law enforcement, case management, and advocacy partners. This article describes existing educational offerings about human trafficking designed for a healthcare audience and makes recommendations for further curriculum development. Evidence acquisition: A keyword search and structured analysis of peer-reviewed and gray literature, conducted in 2011 and 2012, yielded 27 items that provide basic guidance to health professionals on human trafficking. Evidence synthesis: The 27 resources differed substantially in format, length, scope, and intended audience. Topic areas covered by these resources included trafficking definitions and scope, health consequences, victim identification, appropriate treatment, referral to services, legal issues, and security. None of the educational resources has been rigorously evaluated. Conclusions: There is a clear need to develop, implement, and evaluate high-quality education and training programs that focus on human trafficking for healthcare providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at domestic violence in the United States and the role of physicians in primary prevention, early intervention and follow-up care during and after an episode of domestic violence. Risk factors and clinical characteristics of domestic violence; Obstacles victims face in approaching physicians; Clinical evaluation, intervention and care for victims of domestic violence.