As noted in this month’s cover article (Human Trafficking in the Urgent Care Setting: Recognizing and Referring Vulnerable Patients), isolation is one of many tools perpetrators use to control victims of human trafficking. Certainly this includes limiting access to healthcare.
Not surprisingly, when care is necessary it’s not likely to be sought in a primary care office. Rather, busy acute care sites that
offer walk-in access and relative anonymity tend to be preferred—with urgent care being the third most visited behind emergency rooms and community clinics (see the graph below).
 For insights on red flags and the most prudent steps to take when dealing with a patient whom you suspect could be a victim of human trafficking, read pages 13-22 of the digital copy of the March 2023 issue available on the website.
