Clinical forensic medicine--management of crime victims from trauma to trial

The loss of human life and function due to violence constitutes a phenomenon that affects millions of patients annually. Society demands an investigation of trauma associated with criminal activity. No longer is it acceptable for health care professionals to operate in isolation of forensic philosophies and principles. It is assumed that the individuals responsible for the performance of the examination of forensic victims have the necessary basic education, experience, and skills. Health care professionals involved in the initial response to these victims, in the emergency department, are faced with unique problems, as social changes require continual reevaluation of standards and professional responsibility. The role of forensic medicine has been expressly designed to provide solutions to some of the most urgent concerns in our society. Forensic medicine focuses on the areas in which medicine and human behavior interface with the law. Existing problems are great and multifaceted and call for new solutions. The application of forensic science to contemporary medical practice reveals a wider role in the investigation of crime and the legal process that contributes to public health and safety. The responsibility of the forensic medicine is to provide continuity of care from the health care institution or the crime scene to courts of law...from trauma to trial.