Evaluations for Child Abuse: Influence of Provider Intuition

Clinicians are disproportionately likely to test for abuse or report to child protective services in families that are poor or African American. This elegant study examined the influence of family social information (e.g., race, socioeconomic status, parental employment) and providers' intuition on testing decisions and diagnoses in cases of suspected child abuse.

Thirty-two experienced child abuse pediatricians submitted summaries from 730 consultations for suspected child abuse, including their testing recommendations and diagnoses. In each case, the pediatrician had examined the child and met the family. For each case, two of the pediatricians reviewed the summary and reported their recommendations for testing and diagnosis: one pediatric…