Health Information Technology Documentation and Referrals for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Interventions
• Forensic Nursing
• Health Information Technology

Background:

• Hospitals are key sites for screening intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA).
• Existing health IT solutions often fall short in generating reliable medicolegal documentation for forensic reports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a pilot technology tool designed for documenting IPV and SA cases.
• To assess the tool's ability to support forensic nurse examiners and stakeholders in creating high-quality documentation and coordinating victim support.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods pilot study was conducted in four California counties.
• The study involved forensic nurse examiners, law enforcement, and victim support organizations using a digital health intervention.

Main Results:

• The health IT tool was successfully implemented across four pilot counties.
• Participants utilized the tool for its data handling capabilities, including body mapping, data quality controls, and data distribution.
• Motivation for use stemmed from the need for advanced data functionalities beyond manual methods.

Conclusions:

• The health IT tool is feasible and acceptable for forensic nurse documentation of IPV and SA.
• The tool facilitates information sharing with legal and support stakeholders.
• Future development should focus on data standards, body mapping enhancements, and recipient information needs.