Doctors Don’t Document Domestic Abuse

According to a national poll, almost one-third of United States doctors do not keep a record of those patients who report domestic violence in their lives.  Of those who do keep a record, 90 percent to do not document domestic abuse adequately based on established domestic violence reporting standards.  One-third of all doctors surveyed say they do not feel comfortable counseling patients who report domestic abuse.

The results of this new domestic violence study, led by Harvard Medical School researcher Megan Gerber, appears in the November 20 issue of BMC Family Practice.  Researchers analyzed doctor’s reports regarding 90 patients who had reported domestic violence.  In 26 percent of these cases (approximately one-third) the doctor failed to document the reports of domestic abuse at all.  Only ten percent, just nine patients, received some information from their doctor about where to get help or what steps they could take to prevent future domestic violence. 

According to conservative estimates from the Bureau of Justice, at least one million women are the victims of violence from an intimate each year.  According to the American Psychological Association, as many as four million women suffer domestic violence each year.  While men are the victims of domestic violence too, 90 to 95 percent of the abused are women.  At least one in three women who are abused will be abused again within the next six months.  Many states have laws which require health care professionals to report all known and suspected cases of child abuse and domestic abuse to law enforcement. 

This recent study about doctors’ domestic abuse reporting highlights the short comings of our medical system in dealing with cases of domestic abuse.  Doctors are often among the few trusted professionals to which a woman has access amidst the chaos of abuse.  In cases of domestic abuse, it can be extremely difficult for a victim to receive the help she needs.  This is why it’s crucial for medical professionals to receive training in how to respond to victims of domestic abuse.  If you have been the victim of domestic abuse, you may wish to speak with a legal professional to learn more about your legal rights and options.