title: Child Abuse Training, Comfort, and Knowledge Among Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatric Residents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the training, comfort, and knowledge related to the medical management of child abuse among emergency medicine, family medicine, and pediatric residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2004, a 25-item survey was distributed to 274 pediatric, emergency medicine, and family medicine residents at two medical schools in Norfolk, Virginia and Dallas, Texas. Analyses focused on identifying differences in training, comfort, and knowledge by specialty and site, and identifying factors associated with greater knowledge and comfort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pediatric residents reported receiving the most hours of instruction in child abuse during residency. Training experiences of family medicine residents differed significantly by site. Clinical and overall knowledge and comfort with handling exams correlated strongly with the number of abuse patients seen during residency. On both clinical and overall knowledge, family medicine residents performed significantly worse than pediatric and emergency medicine residents. Knowledge of genital anatomy and comfort with sexual abuse exams was poor among all specialties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the need for improvements in and a more systematic approach to residency training in child abuse.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Center for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School , Norfolk , VA , USA.
authors.forename: Kurt W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Heisler
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Center for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School , Norfolk , VA , USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Starling
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Center for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School , Norfolk , VA , USA.
authors.forename: Hailey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pediatrics , Center for Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School , Norfolk , VA , USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Paulson