FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE??????????? NIJ

NOVEMBER 8, 2001 ??????????? ?202/307-0703

PUBLICATION ADVISORY:

Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers Can Help Victims

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Washington, DC ? The Office of Justice Programs? National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has released Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers Can Help Victims.? The report discusses the importance of thorough medical documentation for use as legal documentation and makes suggestions to health care providers for compiling accurate and thorough medical records.

Publication:? ?????????????? Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers

Can Help Victims (NCJ 188564)?

The authors suggest that health care providers can improve record-keeping in a number of ways, including:?

? documenting factual information about the injuries;

? noting the patient?s demeanor;

? clearly indicating the patient?s statements as her/his own;

? avoiding terms that imply doubt about the patient?s reliability; and

? writing legibly in completing reports.

The publication, supported by a grant from NIJ, will be particularly useful to health care providers and researchers, especially those who deal with domestic violence; organizations focused on domestic violence; legal professionals, including judges and prosecutors; and law enforcement professionals.??

The publication can be found on the NIJ Website:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij.?

For additional information on OJP and its programs or the National Institute of Justice, please consult OJP?s Website:?

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

For more information on the publication or for media requests, please contact the Office of Justice Programs? Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703.

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