Qualitative analysis of domestic violence detection and response in a tertiary hospital
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Author(s)
Baird, K
Carrasco, A
Gillespie, K
Boyd, A
Year published
2019
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INTRODUCTION: Domestic and family violence is a public health problem of epidemic proportions and a significant issue facing the Australian community. It knows no boundaries, is indiscriminate to geographical location, social class, age, religious or cultural background. AIM: This study aimed to analyse the processes currently used to identify and respond to domestic and family violence in a large tertiary hospital in Australia, and to classify the benefits and weaknesses of these existing systems. METHODS: A qualitative method used semistructured, face-to-face and telephone interviews with key informants in 16 key areas ...
View more >INTRODUCTION: Domestic and family violence is a public health problem of epidemic proportions and a significant issue facing the Australian community. It knows no boundaries, is indiscriminate to geographical location, social class, age, religious or cultural background. AIM: This study aimed to analyse the processes currently used to identify and respond to domestic and family violence in a large tertiary hospital in Australia, and to classify the benefits and weaknesses of these existing systems. METHODS: A qualitative method used semistructured, face-to-face and telephone interviews with key informants in 16 key areas across the hospital. Thematic analysis of the interviews was used to define the key issues and areas of interest identified by participants. RESULTS: There was a dearth of existing guidelines or pathways of care for patients experiencing domestic violence. Several strengths and weaknesses were identified in relation to the protocols and systems used by the hospital, including limited training for staff and a lack of standardisation of processes, workplace instructions and clinical guidelines. With the exception of maternity services, no clinical service area used a guideline or work instruction. Most interviewees highlighted the need for the safety and protection of staff and victims as a priority. DISCUSSION: Domestic and family violence is an enormous burden on the health system. However, many staff have little or no guidance on dealing with it or are unaware of existing protocols or guidelines for detection or response. Participants recommended further education and training for staff, consistent guidelines, specialist liaison and more educational and information resources for staff and patients. Further investigation and discussions with patients affected by violence is warranted to provide robust recommendations for policy change.
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View more >INTRODUCTION: Domestic and family violence is a public health problem of epidemic proportions and a significant issue facing the Australian community. It knows no boundaries, is indiscriminate to geographical location, social class, age, religious or cultural background. AIM: This study aimed to analyse the processes currently used to identify and respond to domestic and family violence in a large tertiary hospital in Australia, and to classify the benefits and weaknesses of these existing systems. METHODS: A qualitative method used semistructured, face-to-face and telephone interviews with key informants in 16 key areas across the hospital. Thematic analysis of the interviews was used to define the key issues and areas of interest identified by participants. RESULTS: There was a dearth of existing guidelines or pathways of care for patients experiencing domestic violence. Several strengths and weaknesses were identified in relation to the protocols and systems used by the hospital, including limited training for staff and a lack of standardisation of processes, workplace instructions and clinical guidelines. With the exception of maternity services, no clinical service area used a guideline or work instruction. Most interviewees highlighted the need for the safety and protection of staff and victims as a priority. DISCUSSION: Domestic and family violence is an enormous burden on the health system. However, many staff have little or no guidance on dealing with it or are unaware of existing protocols or guidelines for detection or response. Participants recommended further education and training for staff, consistent guidelines, specialist liaison and more educational and information resources for staff and patients. Further investigation and discussions with patients affected by violence is warranted to provide robust recommendations for policy change.
View less >
Journal Title
Journal of primary health care
Volume
11
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2019. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License, which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, providing that the work is properly cited.
Subject
Nursing
Health services and systems
Public health
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Primary Health Care
General & Internal Medicine
Domestic and family violence