Abstract
The purpose of this research was to evaluate the Emergency Department’s recent introduction of a Family Violence Screening Tool that is currently in use at the Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia.
The first aim of this evaluation was to assess the process of the development of the screening program, from a staff, organisational/systems and client perspective. This assessment found that the development of the tool had been successful. The staff indicated through the questionnaire that they found the tool to be user friendly, practical and effective in determining those people at risk of Family Violence.
Although the screening tool is seen as an effective tool by the Emergency Department staff in its capacity to identify people who attend the Emergency Department with family violence. Some discrepancies in the ability of particular staff members to ask the questions remain and needs to be addressed through the ongoing education of the staff.
Further this assessment sought to determine how effectively staff is implementing the three-step process of treatment, support, and referral following identification. This assessment determined there is a need for ongoing education of the ED staff and an extension of the current one-hour education.
From the client utilisation and identification perspective this evaluation sought to ascertain the rate of identification of Family Violence in the ED Department and to determine if the rate increases following implementation. The research revealed that the identification rate has indeed increased as has the intervention rate and the targeting of support services.
This evaluation also wanted to determine the referral pathways for clients following identification and the impact on family violence services in the Southern region. The pathways
Finally this evaluation sought to explore the longer-term benefits of identification through the screening for women and their children. This remains difficult, as there are ethical and logistical problems with the longer-term incorporation of researching strategies needed for longitudinal research. These are currently beyond this evaluation.
The first aim of this evaluation was to assess the process of the development of the screening program, from a staff, organisational/systems and client perspective. This assessment found that the development of the tool had been successful. The staff indicated through the questionnaire that they found the tool to be user friendly, practical and effective in determining those people at risk of Family Violence.
Although the screening tool is seen as an effective tool by the Emergency Department staff in its capacity to identify people who attend the Emergency Department with family violence. Some discrepancies in the ability of particular staff members to ask the questions remain and needs to be addressed through the ongoing education of the staff.
Further this assessment sought to determine how effectively staff is implementing the three-step process of treatment, support, and referral following identification. This assessment determined there is a need for ongoing education of the ED staff and an extension of the current one-hour education.
From the client utilisation and identification perspective this evaluation sought to ascertain the rate of identification of Family Violence in the ED Department and to determine if the rate increases following implementation. The research revealed that the identification rate has indeed increased as has the intervention rate and the targeting of support services.
This evaluation also wanted to determine the referral pathways for clients following identification and the impact on family violence services in the Southern region. The pathways
Finally this evaluation sought to explore the longer-term benefits of identification through the screening for women and their children. This remains difficult, as there are ethical and logistical problems with the longer-term incorporation of researching strategies needed for longitudinal research. These are currently beyond this evaluation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Flinders University |
| Place of Publication | Bedford Park, SA |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |
Keywords
- Domestic violence
- Emergency Departments
- emergency nursing
- Mental health care reform
