Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40823217›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2025

Bridging knowledge and practice in the prevention of child maltreatment in medicine: an analysis of counselling and training approaches.

Anna Eberhardt, Ulrike Hoffmann, Jörg M Fegert, Oliver Berthold

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

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

4 authors.

Anna EberhardtDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany.
Ulrike HoffmannDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany.
Jörg M FegertDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany.
Oliver BertholdDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Protecting children from maltreatment is an important public health challenge. Despite increasing awareness, deficits exist in the training of healthcare professionals, who play a key role in the detection of maltreatment. Initiatives such as the medical child protection helpline and the online course "Child Protection in Medicine - a basic course for all healthcare professions" have been established in Germany to improve knowledge and competence among healthcare professionals. This study examines how collaboration between the two programs contributes to strengthening expertise and practice in child protection. Methods: Since 2016, the online course has offered flexible training for healthcare professionals on child protection. From 2017, the helpline has offered free 24/7 advice for healthcare professionals on suspected cases of child maltreatment. Both measures are evaluated about effectiveness and user satisfaction. The data analysis was conducted using descriptive analyses and Results: The helpline received a total of 4,911 calls between 2017 and 2024, mainly from physicians (61.7%) and psychotherapists (26.4%). The number of calls continuously increased. Most calls were made during working hours. The advice provided included assessments of maltreatment cases, legal issues, and referrals. The online course was used by 3,493 health professionals. Before the training, 90.5% of the participants stated that they needed more knowledge about child protection and 95.2% requested more flexible training. After the course, knowledge improved significantly, especially among unlicensed therapists (Cohen's Discussion: This study finds that the helpline and the online course together strengthen professionals' knowledge and action competencies in medical child protection. The high utilization of both services highlights existing knowledge gaps and the need for training. The increasing number of calls to the helpline underscores its relevance as a quick point of contact. The combination of individual counseling and structured training can improve child protection expertise comprehensively. An expansion of training and support services remains essential.

Indexed as

Child AbuseCounselingHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHealth PersonnelAdultChildFemaleGermanyHotlinesHumansMaleMiddle Agedchild maltreatmentcounselinghealthcare professionalsmedicinepreventiontrainingviolence

Identifiers

PMID40823217
PMCPMC12350255

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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.