Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40241950›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

The California adverse childhood experiences screening roll-out: a survey study of ACEs screening implementation in primary care.

Clare Viglione, Kathleen Soon, Sandra Wittleder, Kyung E Rhee, Renée Boynton-Jarrett, Pradeep Gidwani, Blanca Melendrez, Eric Hekler

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Clare ViglioneHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
Kathleen SoonHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
Sandra WittlederDepartment of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
Kyung E RheeDepartment of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States.
Renée Boynton-JarrettDivision of Health Services Research, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States.
Pradeep GidwaniAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3, San Diego, CA, United States.
Blanca MelendrezUC San Diego Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute Center for Community Health, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
Eric HeklerHerbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: California adopted universal screening of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in January 2020 and dedicated significant financial and human resources to "ACES Aware," a statewide campaign to scale ACEs screening throughout the state. Provider perspectives after the roll-out of ACEs Aware have been understudied. The aim of this study was to understand provider perspectives on universal ACEs screening in primary care. We explored indicators of acceptability, utility, and barriers and facilitators of screening for ACEs. We also investigated treatments offered for disclosed ACEs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with quantitative and qualitative components was distributed via Facebook, Twitter, and electronic listservs between March and April 2022, 2 years after the launch of ACEs Aware. The survey included the validated and reliable "Acceptability of Implementation Measure" and "Feasibility of Implementation Measure" as well as multiple choice, ranking, and free-text items to understand determinants of screening and treatment approaches. Results: Eighty two primary care providers in California, working primarily in pediatrics (84%), completed the survey. The majority (78%) received training on assessing ACEs and 60% reported using the Pediatric ACEs and Related Life-events Screener (PEARLS). About 22% "strongly agree" that PEARLS is acceptable and 32% "strongly agree" that PEARLS is feasible. Only 17% "strongly agree" that they like PEARLS. The top barriers were: (1) insufficient time; (2) unclear treatment pathway for detected ACEs; and (3) inadequate staffing to perform screening. The top facilitators for screening were: (1) financial incentives for providers to screen; (2) financial incentives for organizational leadership to implement screening; and (3) leadership support of screeners. The top approaches for addressing ACEs were: (1) behavioral therapy; (2) case navigation; and (3) trauma-informed care. Conclusion: This study provided a first look at provider perspectives on ACEs screening and treatment in a sample of California providers. Most responding providers report currently screening for ACEs and using PEARLS. Perceptions of feasibility were slightly higher than for acceptability. Facilitators were largely top-down and organizational in nature, such as financial incentives and leadership support. Future directions could include an exploration into why some providers may find ACEs unappealing and research to identify effective and accessible treatment approaches for ACEs.

Indexed as

Adverse Childhood ExperiencesHealth PersonnelMass ScreeningPrimary Health CareAdultCaliforniaChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and Questionnairesadverse childhood experienceschild health and developmentfinancial incentiveimplementation evaluationpolicyprimary careprovider behaviorscreening tools

Identifiers

PMID40241950
PMCPMC12000056

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.