Human trafficking screening in Saskatoon Emergency Departments: What can be learned from high-risk patient presentations?

Studies have shown that Emergency Department physicians have little to no training in recognizing and supporting victims of human trafficking despite being uniquely situated to identify and intervene on behalf of these patients. We assessed if screening for human trafficking was being completed by emergency physicians in three Saskatoon emergency departments.

We performed a retrospective chart review of patients presenting to three Saskatoon emergency departments deemed to potentially be at risk of human trafficking, based on discharge diagnosis. Of the 223 included charts, data extracted included sex, age, ethnicity, chief complaint, diagnosis, disposition, HT Screening (Y/N), specific quotes relating to HT, time of visit, intimate partner violence (Y/N), and travel history. Both quantitative and qualitative thematic analyses were conducted on this data.

None of the charts (0%) included in this study had any documentation around screening for human trafficking. Furthermore, 21.1% of the high-risk patient charts included in this study -- which included many patients with a discharge diagnosis of sexually transmitted disease or pelvic inflammatory disease -- did not contain a documented sexual history. Thematic analysis revealed that the patients included in this study frequently had challenges with sexual health, substance use, and houselessness.

This study found that Emergency physicians in Saskatoon were not routinely screening for human trafficking. Implementation of further training is needed to help these physicians recognize and subsequently support potential victims of human trafficking.