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TeleSAFE Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Trauma-Informed Program

NCJ Number
309611
Date Published
2024
Annotation

This toolkit created by the International Association of Forensic Nurses’ (IAFN) provides guidance for medical forensic examinations via telehealth technology.

Abstract

This Telehealth for Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations (TeleSAFE) Toolkit, published by the International Association of Forensic Nurses’ (IAFN), serves as a guide for clinicians and programs to use when developing a trauma-informed patient-centered teleSAFE program. Medical forensic examinations are a critical part of any multidisciplinary response to sexual violence, yet many remote areas still do not have access to this care. Telehealth technology has become a common tool for delivering health-related services in remote locations, providing cost-effective consultations with specialists, improving quality, and providing patients with a higher level of care. The Toolkit provides the clinician or program with detailed guidance and supporting documentation that can be adjusted to suit one’s practice. The Toolkit is a useful guide to improve and standardize the care of patients receiving the medical forensic exam via telehealth; however, each clinician must refer to their institutional policies and their individual state Practice Acts when considering its implementation. IAFN strives to ensure excellence in forensic nursing practice by educating and supporting clinicians in providing evidence-based, trauma-informed care to forensic patients worldwide.

Date Published: January 1, 2024