Physical Abuse Evaluation Clinical Pathways

This pathway guides clinicians in the evaluation of child physical abuse with a focus on high risk clinical presentations and screening for clinically unsuspected injuries. With a goal of improving assessment standardization based on patient age, the pathway aims to decrease risk of missed diagnosis and support providers with mandatory reporting resources.

PHYSICAL ABUSE EVALUATION clinical pathway

• Physical Abuse Evaluation

About our Physical Abuse Evaluation clinical pathway

This pathway guides the evaluation and management of any patient with a concern for child physical abuse based on history or physical exam. Examples of worrisome history or exam findings include unexplained bruising in a nonmobile infant, altered mental status, head trauma, burns, oral injury, or fractures. Special consideration should be given to infants under six months of age who present with unexplained injuries. This pathway enhances diagnostic accuracy and promotes equitable care by standardizing the evaluation of children, thereby reducing the impact of clinician implicit biases and minimizing variations in practice. Furthermore, it provides essential resources and recommendations to assist clinicians in navigating the complexities of discussing abuse with families and fulfilling mandatory reporting requirements.

Content ideas:

• You could provide background on who created these clinical pathways and how they were created.
• Is there any other information regarding these pathways that providers would want to know?