Medical follow-up at the Sexual Assault Centre in Oslo

Sexual assault is associated with serious health consequences. Tailored medical follow-up after a sexual assault can be crucial during this difficult time and can help prevent long-term health problems. We aimed to examine attendance and non-attendance at medical follow-up appointments at the Sexual Assault Centre in Oslo, and whether those who initially failed to attend did so after contact had been re-established.

As a quality improvement project, we conducted a retrospective observational study of patients at the Sexual Assault Centre in Oslo in 2022. Medical records up to and including 26 weeks after presentation were reviewed. We recorded attendance and non-attendance for medical follow-up appointments, and whether patients who had not initially attended subsequently did so after contact had been re-established.

Of the 579 patients who accepted medical follow-up, 275 (47.5 %) attended their planned follow-up appointments. Attempts were made to re-establish contact with 274 patients, and of these, 169 (61.7 %) attended one or more follow-up appointments. Overall, 444 of 579 (76.7 %) attended one or more follow-up appointments.

The findings suggest that by re-establishing contact with patients who miss appointments, the Sexual Assault Centre helps ensure more individuals receive medical care after a sexual assault.