Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Sep 24;6(5):e477.
doi: 10.1097/pq9.0000000000000477. eCollection 2021 Sep-Oct.

Improving Physical Abuse Documentation and Photography through a Remote Peer Review Intervention

Rebecca L Moles  1 , John Melville  2 , Kim Martinez  3 , Vincent Palusci  4
Affiliations

Improving Physical Abuse Documentation and Photography through a Remote Peer Review Intervention

Rebecca L Moles et al. Pediatr Qual Saf. .

Abstract

Child Abuse Pediatrics is a small and geographically dispersed specialty. This article reports on an intervention to improve written and photodocumentation quality and uniformity in suspected child physical abuse cases, using a remote, de-identified case review system.

Methods: In each cycle, participants submitted de-identified medical reports and photographs for review by a child abuse pediatrics expert. Experts evaluated 3 cycles of 5 cases using a novel rubric and assigned quality interventions for the participants based on their scores.

Results: 15 of 16 participants improved scores between cycles 1 and 3 (78% versus 89%, P < 0.001). All participants rated the program as helpful and would recommend it to a colleague.

Conclusion: A quality improvement project administered via the internet improves the quality and uniformity of written and photographic documentation in child physical abuse evaluations.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Key driver diagram for the project.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Run chart of mean scores for 16 participants in the project.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Run chart of various components of the score. A, History. B, Physical examination. C, Photography. D, Workup and assessment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. US Department of Health and Human Services Adminstration on Children Youth and Families. Child maltreatment 2018. Available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/.... Published 2018. Accessed June 14, 2021.
    1. Christian CW; Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, American Academy of Pediatrics. The evaluation of suspected child physical abuse. Pediatrics. 2015;135:e1337–e1354. - PubMed
    1. Lane WG, Dubowitz H. Primary care pediatricians’ experience, comfort and competence in the evaluation and management of child maltreatment: do we need child abuse experts? Child Abuse Negl. 2009;33:76–83. - PubMed
    1. Keenan HT, Campbell KA. Three models of child abuse consultations: A qualitative study of inpatient child abuse consultation notes. Child Abuse Negl. 2015;43:53–60. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The Breakthrough series: IHI’s collaborative model for achieving breakthrough improvement. Diabetes Spectrum. 2004;17:97–101.