NCJ Number
176572
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 1998 Pages: 395-410
Date Published
1998
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article describes the nature and impact of a multimodal training program that aimed to improve the identification and management of domestic assault by primary medical care providers.
Abstract
The program was developed as a result of recognition that only an estimated 3 percent of cases of domestic violence are currently being identified and that practitioners are uncertain of what to do if a case is discovered. The training program aimed to demonstrate and practice the incorporation of didactic content into practice for health care teams. Two medical centers from a large urban staff-model health maintenance organization were chosen at random from five centers that volunteered for training. The training was provided to the entire adult health care medical center teams, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, medical assistants, and receptionists. A standardized 5-point Likert-scaled questionnaire was administered 9 months after the training to assess provider opinions of the training components. This time interval was chosen to determine the lasting program effects. Participants highly rated core didactic content on topics such as the epidemiology of domestic violence, the identification and management of victims and batterers, and legal issues. They reported lesser but solid support for the delivery of the content through role playing, start-stop videos, and presentations by former victims. Findings indicated that the training program appears to be a promising method to improve the skills of health care providers in the management of domestic violence. Tables, note, and 53 references (Author abstract modified)