Notes from Lecture by Dr. Fellitti about Trauma Assessment

Trauma assessment helped to treat intractable medical problems. Change will be resisted despite enormous benefits. Trauma oriented approach to medical care is feasible, affordable and acceptable. Trauma assessment as a routine mechanism of all entry care.  Simply asking, listening, implicitly accepting. 

Why the resistance to Trauma Assessment?

• The awakening of personal ghosts and unpleasant memories
• It flies in the face of social convention
• Magnitude huge
• Haven’t been taught what to do with this and be comfortable

Hospital Administrators fears about Trauma Assessment: 

• “Patients will be furious” 
• “Make people suicidal if you ask those questions” 
• “Make people decompensate” 

Elderly patient response to Trauma Assessment:
“Thank you for asking [about trauma] – I thought I would die and no one would know about what happened.”