Supporting Patients Experiencing Family Violence

Did you know that women experiencing domestic violence will disclose their situation to GPs more often than to any other professional group? When a patient discloses family violence, it's essential a doctor be able to respond effectively by asking the right questions, using appropriate language, and having good networks with local family violence services.  The AMA, in collaboration with the Law Council of Australia, has launched a new resource to assist doctors to provide better support for victims of family violence.

The AMA/Law Council of Australia document Supporting Patients Experiencing Family Violence describes how to identify and respond to patients who have experienced or are experiencing family violence. It contains information about specialist support services, including health, mental health, drug and alcohol, legal, family support and child protection services.