Background Health care providers are a highly trusted and influential source of information for the general public, and AAA is a trusted source of information for health care providers. Reaching out to these providers with the right tools and messages has the potential, in turn, to reach thousands of parents and their children. Educating parents on the proper use of seat belts and safety seats is critical to reducing deaths and injuries among children. Because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among children, the Association identified child passenger safety (CPS) outreach to the medical community as a unique undertaking and a priority for the Seated, Safe & Secure initiative. In order to help guide AAA in our efforts, the Association formed a Medical Outreach Advisory Council comprised of experts from national medical associations, advocacy groups and government agencies to help AAA better understand the needs of providers and recommend solutions. As a result of the guidance received from the advisory council, two important projects were undertaken: the AAA Medical Outreach Tool Kit and the online CPS module for medical students. AAA Medical Outreach Tool Kit Providing Tools to Help Doctors Keep Children Safe In a recent AAA survey, a third of parents were found to learn about child passenger safety (CPS) from their physicians and more than two-thirds believe pediatricians and other health care providers should take a more active role in educating parents about this important topic. Yet, parent's most trusted source of health information for their children - their health care provider - often lacks the resources to educate them on CPS. To fill this knowledge gap, AAA developed a tool to spark a dialogue between health care providers and their patients about CPS. The "AAA Medical Outreach Tool Kit" combines innovative teaching and discussion tools with essential educational information. The kits include a waiting-room poster and DVD, informational pamphlets, a prescription pad with CPS guidelines, and a fun sticker for children - all available in English or Spanish. Materials Based on Sound Science The kits were developed and tested according to a widely respected public health theory for behavioral change known as the Health Belief Model. The information in the kits will help physicians interact with patients and caregivers about the importance of CPS. Evaluation The effectiveness of the kits was thoroughly evaluated through pre- and post-surveys of health care providers who used the materials. Over 83% of doctors indicated that the kits improved their comfort level in discussing CPS with parents and patients. Pediatricians also acknowledged learning new information from the materials and voiced their confidence in AAA as a valuable partner in this important area of educational outreach. Online CPS Module Educating physicians about child restraint use is critical. Members of the advisory panel urged AAA to reach doctors "where they learn" and early in their careers, so AAA partnered with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) to develop an online child passenger safety curriculum module. This multimedia training tool is designed to educate medical students and healthcare providers on the critical issue of child passenger safety. By teaching crash dynamics and how restraints work to prevent injury, AAA and AMSA hope this new tool will help healthcare providers better understand the need for restraints, enabling them to provide the best advice to their patients. The module is hosted on the AMSA Web site, and a CD-ROM was distributed to medical school deans across the country Included in the module are: Case studies with photos Crash simulation videos Up-to-date statistics on child passenger deaths and injuries Descriptions of proper restraints by passenger age Common barriers to restraint use and recommended responses In only 15 minutes, healthcare providers can become educated on an epidemic that is killing today's children and learn how to take appropriate action to prevent future deaths and injuries. To learn more, visit www.amsa.org/cps.