Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major cause of health conditions among women presenting for health care. Many physicians and nurses miss potential opportunities to increase battered women’s safety. The purpose of this study is to increase health care providers’ understanding of abused women’s preferences concerning provider response when they do disclose IPV in order to increase effectiveness of interventions. A total of 26 abused women from a larger study participated in five focus groups at three agencies on “how a hospital or doctor’s office can be most helpful to a woman who is experiencing domestic violence.” Women identified seven preferences for responses: (a) treat me with respect and concern, (b) protect me, (c) documentation, (d) give me control, (e) immediate response, (f) give me options, and (g) be there for me later. These findings indicate that women prefer an active role by health care providers when responding to disclosure.
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