HHS asks doctors to watch for human trafficking

The agency believes that doctors will play a key role in rescuing those trapped in modern forms of slavery.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. March 14, 2005.

Over the years, David McCollum, MD, has seen patients who seemed to be in an abusive situation but didn't quite fit the profile for victims of domestic violence. But there were common themes. Someone was always with these patients, never letting them speak for themselves, and even if they did, their English was limited or nonexistent. They also always seemed insecure and uncomfortable.

Dr. McCollum, an emergency physician from Chanhassen, Minn., and chair of the AMA National Advisory Council on Violence and Abuse, now thinks these patients may have been victims of human trafficking -- a modern form of slavery in which people are moved across borders and subjected to sexual exploitation, forced labor or indentured servitude. "A lot of people are being trafficked, but it's underreported," he said.

Thanks to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, resources are now becoming available to help physicians identify the problem. HHS is rolling out its "Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking" awareness campaign to provide physicians and other health care professionals tools to detect victims of this crime.

Additionally, the agency hopes the campaign will raise the index of suspicion among physicians. It also will provide a suggested list of questions to ask to confirm the need for a referral and a national toll-free number to link patients with prescreened organizations that specialize in the problem.

"Victims of trafficking may look like many of the patients you encounter every day," said Wade F. Horn, PhD, assistant secretary for the HHS Administration of Children and Families. "We urge health care professionals to be vigilant in looking for potential victims of human trafficking so they can help victims escape bondage and restore their lives."