Child abuse is reported in 33 to 45 percent of families in which adult domestic violence occurs. It is now recommended that all female trauma patients and those with chronic unrelenting musculoskeletal problems be evaluated for domestic violence by their orthopaedic surgeons. Patients should be interviewed privately and nonjudgmentally. Identified victims should be advised of the option of reporting to the police, the article reported. Treating physicians should inquire about the battered woman's safety before she leaves the medical setting.
Many women can be in denial about the danger they face.
Physicians should provide them with information about local shelters, agencies and legal advocacy services. The authors noted that since 1992, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations has required that hospitals establish a plan for the identification, assessment and treatment of abuse victims of all ages and that each emergency department maintain a current list of community-based and private agencies equipped to deal with family violence. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is calling on members to increase their efforts to recognize domestic violence and provide assistance to victims. An orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor with extensive training in the diagnosis and nonsurgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.