Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic experiences occurring during childhood that can potentially lead to poor health outcomes later in life. To identify risk factors, a growing number of pediatric practices have adopted standardized tools to screen for ACEs, thus leading to a surge in studies examining practitioners’ views on ACE screening in clinical settings. However, there have been significantly fewer studies exploring the viewpoints of patients or caregivers on this subject.

This qualitative study sought to understand adolescents’ and caregivers’ perceptions on ACE screening in five pediatric clinics with the Los Angeles Department of Health system that predominantly serve low-income, diverse, and Medicaid-insured patients. The analysis explored three key topic areas: (1) acceptability of ACE screening; (2) implementation issues; and (3) effects of ACE screening on patients and caregivers.