Health care for intimate partner violence : current standard of care and development of protocol management

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The World Health Organisation recognises intimate partner violence (IPV) to be of majorconsequence to women's mental and physical health, yet in South Africa it remains aneglected area of care. Within a professional action research framework, this studyimplemented a previously recommended South African protocol for the screening and holisticmanagement of IPV in women in order to test its feasibility and to adapt it for use in theprimary health care (PHC) sector of the Western Cape. It also aimed to identify the currentnature of care offered to female survivors of IPV. Thirdly, it aimed to learn from the processof training and supporting (nurse) researchers who were new to the action research paradigmand methodology.Successfully implementing and evaluating a complex health intervention in the current PHCscenario required a flexible methodology which could enable real engagement with, and acreative response to, the issues as they emerged. Guided by the British Medical ResearchCouncil's framework for development and evaluation of randomised controlled trials forcomplex health interventions (Medical Research Council, 2000, p.3), this study waspositioned within the modelling phase. Professional action research used a co-operativeinquiry group process as the overarching method with the usual cycles of action, observation,reflection and planning. Altogether five co-researchers were involved in implementing theprotocol and were members of the inquiry group. A number of techniques were used toobserve and reflect on experience, including participant interviews, key informant interviews,focus groups with health care providers at each site, quantitative data from the medicalrecords and protocol, field notes and academic literature.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University