Trauma-Informed Care: Helping Patients with a Painful Past.

Life trauma is highly correlated with an increased risk of mortality from chronic disease. Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an evidence-based approach to deliver healthcare in a way that recognizes and responds to the long-term health effects of the experience of trauma in patients' lives. Four essential features and six defining concepts delineate a TIC approach to healthcare. Nurses can realize the benefits and learn the tenets of TIC to deliver superior care to patients with chronic illness.