Hospital-Based Identification of Patients Experiencing Human Trafficking: A 5-Year Review of the Atrium Health HT-EMAT Program

Atrium Health launched a hospital-based response team to address human trafficking (HT) to serve the medical, safety, and psychosocial needs of patients experiencing trafficking. The study aimed to provide a 5-year review capturing what proportion of consults initiated by frontline teammates or community partners identified a patient experiencing trafficking or highly at risk of HT.

This retrospective database study analyzed consults from January 1, 2020 to December 1, 2025. The HT-EMAT team uses various screening tools, such as the West Coast Commercial Sexual Exploitation Identification Tool (CSE-IT, Healthcare version 2.0) for minors experiencing sex trafficking and the Modified Trafficking Victim Identification Tool (Modified TVIT) for minors or adults experiencing labor trafficking. The level of concern for a patient experiencing trafficking is determined by these screening tools and recorded in the database.

1,094 consultations occurred from 2020-2025. Among 514 minors, 260 (51%) screened confirmed/suspected, 194 (38%) were at risk of HT, 26 (5%) screened out, 22 (4%) were unable to be assessed, and 12 (2%) had a history of HT but were not currently being trafficked. The consultations were for the following; 366 (71%) sex trafficking, 38 (7%) sex and labor trafficking, 5 (1%) labor trafficking, and 105 (20%) unknown or screened out. Among 260 confirmed/suspected minors, 254 were female (98%), 144 (55%) were black, 81 (31%) were white, 35 (14%) were of another race or declined, and 36 (14%) were Hispanic. Of the 580 adults, 217 (37%) screened as confirmed/suspected victims of trafficking, 164 (28%) screened at risk of trafficking, 47 (8%) screened out, 78 (13%) were unable to be assessed, and 74 (13%) had a history of HT but were not experiencing HT currently. The consultations were for the following; 304 (58%) sex trafficking, 43 (8%) sex and labor trafficking, 15 (3%) labor trafficking, and 218 (38%) were unknown or screened out. Among 217 confirmed/suspected adults, 206 (95%) were female, 101 (47%) were Black, 91 (42%) were White, 26 (11%) were of another race or declined, and 33 (13%) were Hispanic.

Hospital-based screening and multidisciplinary care are vital for identifying and supporting trafficked patients with complex needs. Ongoing research is needed to assess the long-term impact of these interventions.