Click here for the Stage 1
Evaluation Report - File Size: 258k 
Screening rates in antenatal clinics ranged from 72% to 97%, with the highest rates in the Royal Women's Hospital where staff are more accustomed to administering questionnaires. Most (67.3%) of the women presenting to the gynaecology outpatients department were screened, but less than 10% of the charts in the emergency departments had evidence of screening.
Overall, approximately 6.5% of the women disclosed violence. The figure for the antenatal sites was 8.62%, which is consonant with findings elsewhere.
Only about 11% of those who screened positive accepted help at the time.
The most positive aspect of the evaluation was women's overwhelming endorsement of screening: 97.7% of those screened in antenatal clinics and 92.2% of those screened at the other sites agreed "it is a good idea to ask about domestic violence".
The vast majority (96.1% of the antenatal clients and 90.7% of the others) "felt okay" with the screening process; 17% of those in the primary care clinic of the Royal Brisbane Hospital Emergency "felt relieved" when they were asked; less than 3% of those screened "felt uncomfortable".
About two-thirds of the women thought midwives or nurses and general practitioners were the best health professionals to ask about violence.
Focus groups indicated that in spite of the acknowledged challenges in screening, staff recognised its significant contribution to health care and supported the process.
In Stage 2 of the Initiative, the original pilot sites have been joined by Nambour Hospital and hospital and community based services in the Bayside Health Service District.
Statewide roll-out of the DVI is underway, with over 18 health service sites currently implementing the Initiative.
The evaluation of Stage 2 entailed an audit of a representative sample of patient charts at randomly selected sites to ascertain screening compliance and DV prevalence. It was of particular interest to examine possible changes in screening compliance over the implementation since Stage 1, as previous research in domestic violence screening in the health care setting has indicated that there is a decline in screening rates over time.
The Queensland Minister for Health, and the Minister assisting the Premier on Women’s Policy, Wendy Edmond MP released the Stage 2 Evaluation results at the Domestic Violence Initiative Forum in May 2001.
Click here for the Stage
2 Evaluation Report - File Size: 396k
Over 3500 charts at 8 sites were audited for the Stage 2 Evaluation. In all sites, the overall screening rate was 82%.
The highest rate of screening compliance was seen in the antenatal departments, which had an overall screening rate of 86.5%. This ranged from 32 % to 96.6%.
The Mater Adults Hospital Emergency Department increased the screening rate from 7.7% in Stage 1 to 23.2% in Stage 2, an increase of over 15.5%.
The overall rate of disclosure of domestic violence increased during Stage 2 from 6.5 to 7%. Disclosure rates varied between sites from 0% to 14.6%.
Emotional abuse was the most widely reported type of abuse, followed by physical and then threatened abuse. Fear was not widely reported, however the question relating to fear was not included at all sites.
When a woman discloses violence, the health provider asks if she wants help with her situation. Most women declined this offer, and only 13% of those screening positive accepted offers of help. The highest number of women accepting help at any site was 12.
Antenatal clients who had disclosed violence during screening were asked to participate in a survey at their 36 week visit. The purpose of this survey was to investigate why women who experience violence decline offers of help, and what women who experience violence find useful in their situation.
Many women accepted the opportunity to share their experiences and opinions
about support for those who experience abuse. Respondents indicated that fear,
embarrassment or shame, and the hope that the domestic violence situation
would resolve itself were barriers to accepting help. Women also indicated
that the support of family and friends, counselling, and helpful responses
by police, health and welfare agencies were helpful factors for women who
had experienced abuse. In addition, women suggested increasing availability
of counselling resources for perpetrators, and increasing availability of
support groups for women who had experienced, and are experiencing domestic
violence.
The DVI's achievements can be seen through the Evaluation Reports. Two awards
have also given formal recognition to the on-going work of the hundreds of
women and men across the State who guide and implement the Initiative.
The Minister for Families, Youth, Community Care and Disability Services, the Hon Anna Bligh, presented one of the State Domestic Violence Week awards to the DVI in May 2000 and in August 2000 the Initiative won Queensland Health's Director-General's Silver Medal "in recognition of [its] outstanding contribution to the achievement of better health outcomes for Queenslanders".
This page last updated:
7 February, 2003
Review date: July, 2003
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