Medicolegal response to domestic violence cases: Qualitative insights from a tertiary care hospital in West Delhi, India.

Abstract

Background: Domestic violence is a pervasive public health issue in India, significantly impacting women's health and well-being. Disclosures of domestic violence frequently occur during healthcare encounters, making hospitals and related settings critical spaces for inquiry. In this context, the aim of the study is to explore the social and medicolegal dimensions of domestic violence within a hospital setting through the lens of healthcare documentation and understand the role of healthcare providers in managing and recording these cases.

Methods: This study examined the medicolegal classification and documentation of domestic violence cases in a tertiary care hospital in West Delhi by manually reviewing medicolegal case registers, the quality of case documentation, and assessing standard operational procedures of hospitals. Interviews were also conducted with healthcare professionals to gain insights on the same.

Results: The findings reveal that poor documentation practices in medical records compromise the reliability of evidence, hinder the assessment of prevalence and patterns, and obstruct effective interventions. Despite the existence of a comprehensive legal framework, cultural challenges significantly impede the effective identification and documentation of domestic violence incidents. Healthcare providers reported multiple barriers in identifying and documenting domestic violence, including high patient loads, resource limitations, lack of training, and the overarching challenge of integrating healthcare with medicolegal requirements.

Conclusion: Insights from the study underscore the urgent need for improved recognition, training, and standardised documentation practices to enhance the response to domestic violence within healthcare settings.