Adult and Adolescent Sexual Assault Patients in the Emergency Care Setting.

Patients seeking care in the emergency setting after sexual assault are an at-risk, vulnerable population. It is imperative that they have access to and receive patient-centered and trauma-informed care that addresses their medicolegal and psychosocial needs.1 Patient-centered care is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values, ensuring that patient choices guide all clinical decisions.2 Trauma-informed care involves understanding the connection between presenting symptoms and behaviors, on the one hand, and the individual’s past trauma history, on the other.3