Hospital Protocol Revision and Annotated Bibliography Within every hospital, clinic, private practice or similar health care facilitator, a strict set of institutional protocols and policies is used to govern the conduct of physicians, nurses, orderlies and any other employees responsible for the delivery of health care at the highest standard. The John Dempsey Hospital at the University of Connecticut Health Center currently maintains a protocol regarding identification and treatment of patients who are suspected of being child abuse victims. Although this protocol is comprehensive in nature, providing health care professionals with clear guidelines to apply during interactions with young patients who are possibly being abused, the rate of reported child abuse cases deriving from the John Dempsey Hospital has fallen behind national and state averages. The purpose of this paper is to implement meaningful changes to the current child abuse policy in place at the John Dempsey Hospital, in order to increase the recent reduction in child abuse reporting.

Policy Overview

Under the Patient Care section of the John Dempsey Hospital's Administrative Manual, Protocol #08-085 falls under the subject of Abuse: Child, and states unequivocally that patients under the age of 18 have the right to be free of exploitation and abuse, and that "the hospital will protect these patients from neglect, exploitation, and abuse that could occur while the patient is receiving care, treatment, and services & #8230; (by) evaluating and reporting allegations, observations, and suspected cases of neglect, exploitation, and abuse to appropriate authorities based on its evaluation of the suspected events, or as required by law." The policy mandates that hospital employees remain vigilant in monitoring for signs of potential child abuse, and...