The Irish College of General Practitioners, the professional and educational body for Irish GPs, has launched a guide for members to recognise and advise patients who are experiencing domestic violence abuse (DVA) in their lives. The guide helps GPs and their practice teams recognise and act on the indicators of DVA, which are not always obvious.
https://www.icgpnews.ie/press-release-new-guide-on-management-of-domestic-violence-abuse-launched/
View a detailed summary of the DVA guide for GPs (PDF, 505KB)
The ICGP’s Director of Women’s Health, Dr Nóirín O’Herlihy, said: “For GPs, it is not always easy to identify if a patient is experiencing domestic violence and abuse. For patients, it can be difficult to disclose it. It is important for GPs to be confident to ask patients about the possibility of domestic violence and abuse when it is safe. GPs are more likely to ask in high-risk situations, for example, during pregnancy.
“People who experience domestic abuse often have regular contact with their GP and identify doctors and nurses as professionals from whom they would like to get support. It is vital that healthcare professionals such as GPs and their practice teams are aware of, and ask about, domestic abuse.”
Prevalence
- Fifteen per cent (15%) of women and 6% of men have experienced severely abusive behaviour of a physical, sexual or emotional nature from a partner at some time in their lives. On average, high-risk victims live with domestic abuse for 2.3 years before getting help, and medium-risk victims for three years.
- DVA has the highest repeat victimisation rate. In 2007-8 in the UK, 54% of victims experienced domestic abuse from the same perpetrator on more than one occasion.
- DVA can be fatal. Most women who were intentionally killed in Ireland were killed by a current or former intimate partner.
The aims of the DVA Quick Reference Guide are to:
- improve the awareness and recognition of domestic abuse
- highlight the risk factors for, and presentations of, domestic abuse in primary care
- illustrate how to respond to a disclosure of domestic abuse with empathy and understanding
- assess someone’s immediate safety
- advise on the appropriate referral options and supports for patients who disclose
- inform GPs on legal issues and reporting requirements