Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102898

Joellen W. Hawkins, RNC, PhD¹, Carole Pearce, PhD RN², Jackie Skeith, RN, BS, BC¹, and Beth Dimitruk, MS¹. (1) William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, 617-552-4252, hawkinsj@bc.edu, (2) School of Health and Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 3 Solomont Way, Suite 4, Lowell, MA 01854

During the decade of the 1990s, homicide became the leading cause of maternal mortality in pregnancy and the first year of the babies' lives in the United States. Elder abuse, abuse and neglect of persons with disabilities and child abuse round out the picture of abuse occuring in the home. In response to this public health problem, a large visiting nurse association (VNA) serving 72 towns and cities applied for and was funded by the US Department of Commerce for a project demonstrating innovative use of technology. A screening tool for abuse was loaded unto the pocket personal computers (pocket PCs) each nurse in the agency carries. Screening for violence in the home became part of the intake for every patient. If a patient revealed abuse, the nurse could request services as needed such as social work or an advocate from participating regional social service agencies. From the pocket PC, the nurse can file mandated reports of abuse with the appropriate agency. The VNA partners in the project were agencies providing services for victims of child, elder, and intimate partner violence and persons with disabilities who were enduring abuse or neglect. Outcomes from the project include a shortened length of time for response from the appropriate agency with services for the patient. Training in screening and responding to abuse has become part of the orientation training for every nurse hired at the VNA.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe use of the pocket PC in screening for family violence
• Identify one creative use of pocket PC technology in public health nursing

Keywords: Interactive Communication, Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation