Trauma-Informed Care
Definition
A framework recognising that trauma physically changes how people process experience and communicate, so clinical interactions should maximise the patient's sense of safety and control to reduce re-traumatisation and improve disclosure quality.
- Core premise
- Trauma changes how people process experience and communicate
- Goal
- Maximise the patient's sense of safety and control
- Outcome sought
- Reduced re-traumatisation, improved disclosure quality
- Field
- Medical-forensic examination communication
Common questions
How does trauma-informed care change what an examiner actually does during an exam?+
It means explaining each step before performing it, asking permission rather than assuming consent for each procedure, and allowing the patient to pause or stop the examination, rather than following a fixed protocol regardless of the patient's visible distress.
Does trauma-informed care conflict with the forensic need for a thorough examination?+
No. Evidence collected while a patient feels safe and in control tends to be more complete and reliable than evidence obtained under distress, so trauma-informed practice generally improves rather than compromises the forensic yield.
Related terms
- Anogenital Findings
- Clinical observations of the anal and genital area recorded during the examination. They may include injury (lacerations, bruising, abrasions), normal anatomical variation,...
- Colposcopy
- Magnified examination and photographic documentation of the anogenital area using a colposcope. In the SANE context it is primarily a documentation tool,...
- Hymenal Nomenclature
- The standardised anatomical language for describing hymenal configuration, location of findings, and the clock-face reference system (e.g., 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock) used...
- Safety Planning
- A collaborative process in which the nurse and patient identify practical steps to reduce immediate danger: documents to keep accessible, people to...
- Tanner Staging
- A scale assessing pubertal development based on secondary sexual characteristics. SANEs record Tanner stage because it affects the interpretation of anogenital anatomy...