ICD-10-CM codes infrequently used to document human trafficking in 2019 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample

HT was rarely documented as an external cause of morbidity in 989 hospitals' ED visits from a nationally representative sample in 2019. Documentation of recently added HT ICD-10-CM codes does not appear to have been implemented sufficiently to yield an unbiased representation of those who experienced HT and presented in the ED. Efforts to enhance the utility of ICD-10-CM HT codes for surveillance and documentation must first address ED personnel training on identification and response to HT. In doing so, ED personnel also need to address ethical concerns (e.g. stigma, confidentiality, risk of patient harm) and allow for informed consent among trafficked patients in order to be scaled up responsibly.