Using Technology to Expedite Screening and Intervention for Domestic Abuse and Neglect

Abstract

Wedding technology with health care professionals' skills and knowledge can move prevention of and early intervention for domestic abuse and neglect to a new level of efficacy.

Domestic Violence Service Providers’ Needs and Perceptions of Technology: A Qualitative Study

“…Professionals who work with clients impacted by DV use technologies in a multitude of ways, including for seeking information about how best to serve clients (Finn, 2000;Joyner, 1999), to improve community responses to DV (Constantino et al, 2007;Erez & Ibarra, 2007;Hassija & Gray, 2011), and to communicate with other involved professionals (Hawkins et al, 2009). Community response systems to address DV often involve a number of agencies, each with a unique function, such as law enforcement agencies, battered women's shelters, and court systems.…”

“…136 C. E. Murray et al Finally, DV service providers are using technology to help them bridge a gap that has long presented one of the biggest challenges to effective intervention and care-the challenge of efficient and accurate interagency communication. Hawkins, Pearce, Skeith, Dimitruk, and Roche (2009) outlined an innovative program for nurses in Massachusetts and New Hampshire called Home Health VNA that utilized Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) as secured hubs for assimilating patient information and making quick referrals. Specifically, nurses in this program used assessment tools loaded onto their PDAs to identify signs of DV and then quickly triage the patient's needs by making referrals to other service providers, including DV advocates and social workers (Hawkins et al, 2009).…”

“…Hawkins, Pearce, Skeith, Dimitruk, and Roche (2009) outlined an innovative program for nurses in Massachusetts and New Hampshire called Home Health VNA that utilized Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) as secured hubs for assimilating patient information and making quick referrals. Specifically, nurses in this program used assessment tools loaded onto their PDAs to identify signs of DV and then quickly triage the patient's needs by making referrals to other service providers, including DV advocates and social workers (Hawkins et al, 2009). Information from the nurse's initial assessment could then be shared securely with other service providers and vice versa in order to avoid repetitive questioning and expedite the intervention process (Hawkins et al, 2009).…”

“…Specifically, nurses in this program used assessment tools loaded onto their PDAs to identify signs of DV and then quickly triage the patient's needs by making referrals to other service providers, including DV advocates and social workers (Hawkins et al, 2009). Information from the nurse's initial assessment could then be shared securely with other service providers and vice versa in order to avoid repetitive questioning and expedite the intervention process (Hawkins et al, 2009). Technology can provide an efficient means of communication-especially in high-risk situations.…”

Health Professionals’ Responses to Women’s Disclosure of Domestic Violence

“…Despite the health implications for women who have experienced domestic violence and the plethora of research undertaken around the feasibility and/or appropriateness, or otherwise, of routine screening for domestic violence in health settings (Barata, 2011;Hawkins, Pearce, Skeith, Dimitruk, & Roche, 2009;Klevens & Saltzman, 2009;MacMillan et al, 2006;Moracco & Cole, 2009;Wathen, Jamieson, & MacMillan, 2008), and barriers to it (Colarossi, Breitbart, & Betancourt, 2010;Minsky-Kelly, Hamberger, Pape, & Wolff, 2005), only a minority of women experiencing violence are identified by health professionals (Feder, Hutson, Ramsay, & Taket, 2006a). The absence of a strategic screening program (Edin & Hogberg, 2002;Shadigian & Bauer, 2004) in many countries including the United Kingdom may be a contributory factor in this low rate of identification.…”