Teaching and Research Intersect: Preparing PA Students to Identify Victims of Trafficking
Start Date
November 2025
End Date
November 2025
Keywords
Physician Assistants, PA education, Human trafficking, Clinical identification, Trauma-informed care, Evidence-based clinical research, Translational research
Abstract
Human trafficking (HT) is a critical public health concern in the United States, with many victims remaining undetected in clinical settings. Bayliss (2019) identified that limited HT training impedes Physician Assistants’ (PAs) ability to identify, treat, and refer victims to appropriate resources. Similarly, Brooks (2021) surveyed 184 U.S. PAs and found that most lacked confidence in recognizing and caring for victims, underscoring the urgent need for HT education in PA programs. To address this gap, the presenters reviewed the curricula of all Florida-accredited PA programs and found that none included HT-specific content. Building on this finding, they implemented a 12-week, master’s-level HT course integrated into a concurrent bachelor-level PA program. In assigned groups, students conducted evidence-based clinical reviews of verified trafficking cases. The efficacy of student learning was evaluated using a translational, quasi-experimental pre-post design guided by Wlodkowski’s (2008) model of integrated levels of motivation. Students reported increased awareness of HT indicators, greater confidence in identifying victims, enhanced skill in trauma-informed care, and improved ability to apply classroom knowledge in clinical practice. The course culminated in required student presentations of their evidence-based clinical reviews, which were appropriate for clinical settings and professional conferences. Students can translate their increased knowledge and skills from the course into professional, evidence-based practice, enhancing their ability to identify and ethically support victims of trafficking in clinical settings. This initiative demonstrates a feasible approach for integrating evidence-based research into health professions education to promote clinical awareness, ethical engagement, and compassionate care for vulnerable populations
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Utilize integrated levels of motivation (Wlodkowski, 2008) for curriculum design.
- Develop an evidence-based clinical research assignment using the Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Type of Question (PICOT) framework.
- Assess the effectiveness to course content delivery and student learning using a pre-post quasi-experimental research design.
Track
Evidence-Based Practice
Session Type
25-Minute Session
Teaching and Research Intersect: Preparing PA Students to Identify Victims of Trafficking
Human trafficking (HT) is a critical public health concern in the United States, with many victims remaining undetected in clinical settings. Bayliss (2019) identified that limited HT training impedes Physician Assistants’ (PAs) ability to identify, treat, and refer victims to appropriate resources. Similarly, Brooks (2021) surveyed 184 U.S. PAs and found that most lacked confidence in recognizing and caring for victims, underscoring the urgent need for HT education in PA programs. To address this gap, the presenters reviewed the curricula of all Florida-accredited PA programs and found that none included HT-specific content. Building on this finding, they implemented a 12-week, master’s-level HT course integrated into a concurrent bachelor-level PA program. In assigned groups, students conducted evidence-based clinical reviews of verified trafficking cases. The efficacy of student learning was evaluated using a translational, quasi-experimental pre-post design guided by Wlodkowski’s (2008) model of integrated levels of motivation. Students reported increased awareness of HT indicators, greater confidence in identifying victims, enhanced skill in trauma-informed care, and improved ability to apply classroom knowledge in clinical practice. The course culminated in required student presentations of their evidence-based clinical reviews, which were appropriate for clinical settings and professional conferences. Students can translate their increased knowledge and skills from the course into professional, evidence-based practice, enhancing their ability to identify and ethically support victims of trafficking in clinical settings. This initiative demonstrates a feasible approach for integrating evidence-based research into health professions education to promote clinical awareness, ethical engagement, and compassionate care for vulnerable populations