What are the experiences and expectations of women with experience of intimate partner violence when they encounter health care professionals? A meta-analysis of qualitative studies


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

3152.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - Board 2

Abstract #107210

Ann R. Taket¹, Madeleine Hutson², Jean M. Ramsey³, and Gene S. Feder³. (1) Faculty of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd., London, SE1 0AA, United Kingdom, (2) Medical Student, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, United Kingdom, 44 20 7882 5500, madhutson@yahoo.co.uk, (3) Institute of Community Health Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, United Kingdom

In this paper we report a systematic meta-analysis of qualitative studies carried out to answer two questions: 1. How do women with histories of intimate partner violence perceive the responses they experienced in health care settings? 2. How would women with histories of intimate partner violence like their health care providers to respond to disclosures of abuse?

Twenty-nine papers reporting 26 studies were included into the review with data from 847 abused women discussing their perceptions of healthcare professionals. The women's ages in the primary studies ranged from 18 to 81 years with varying ethnicity and socio-economic status. Twenty-three of the 26 studies recruited women from community settings, two were hospital based and one recruited women from a variety of community and health care settings. Nineteen of the studies were based in the United States, three in the United Kingdom, and four in Australia.

The paper will focus on the findings from the meta-analysis and the recommendations that these lead to about what is an appropriate response from health care professionals.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

1. Describe the features of the encounter with a health care professional that women who have experienced intimate partner violence find helpful.
2. Articulate how the characteristics of a helpful response change over time, from before disclosure/ questioning, when issue of domestic violence raised, the immediate response to disclosure and response in later interactions.
3. Assess the value of systematic qualitative meta-analysis as a complement to systematic quantitative review.

Keywords: Practice Guidelines, Domestic 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.

Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Posters

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA