Domestic violence and abuse related emergency room visits in Ontario, Canada

Sonica Singhal,Heather Manson,Menaka Shanmuganantha,Sarah Orr,Harkirat Singh

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10501-9

Sonica Singhal, Heather Manson + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10501-9

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Abstract

BackgroundHospitals’ emergency rooms (ERs) are generally the first point of contact of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) victims to the health care system. For efficient management and resource allocation for ERs to manage DVA-related emergencies in Canada, it is important to quantify and assess the pattern of these visits.MethodsAggregate DVA-related ER visits data, using relevant ICD-10-CA codes, from 2012 to 2016 were retrieved from IntelliHealth Ontario. The 2011 ON-Marg (Ontario Marginalization) indices were linked at the Dissemination Area level to ER data. Descriptive analyses including total number and rate of visits per 100,000 people were calculated, stratified by age and sex. The Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were also assessed.ResultsFrom 2012 to 2016, 10,935 (81.2% by females and 18.8% by males) DVA-related visits were made to ERs in Ontario. An annual average of 25.5 visits per 100,000 females and 6.1 visits per 100,000 males was observed. Residential instability and deprivation were significant predictors of DVA-related ER visits. No particular site of injury was indicated in 38.5% of visits, 24.7% presented with cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) trauma in isolation, 28.9% presented with non-CMF injuries, and 7.9% visits presented with both CMF and non-CMF injuries.ConclusionThis study identified that the burden of DVA-related ER visits is large enough to warrant timely public health interventions, and observed that certain populations in Ontario experience more DVA and/or are more prone to its impact. Our findings have important implications for various stakeholders involved in planning and implementing relevant policies and programs.

Highlights

Hospitals’ emergency rooms (ERs) are generally the first point of contact of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) victims to the health care system
A better understanding of the impact of DVArelated ER visits will inform the importance of ongoing public health surveillance in the area of DVA, assessment of resource allocation required for its appropriate management and development of future preventative healthcare strategies to mitigate the burden in Canada
Females had higher rates of DVA-related ER visits than males. This observation was consistent across all ages, except for male infants 0–1 year old who had slightly higher rates of DVA-related ER visits compared to female infants (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Hospitals’ emergency rooms (ERs) are generally the first point of contact of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) victims to the health care system. In emergency rooms (ERs), are often victims’ first point of contact with the health care system This is an opportunity for health care professionals to treat the current DVA-related medical condition/injury, and to provide support in mitigating the risk of its recurrence in the future through safety referral, who can provide emotional support, crisis counselling, and information and assistance with urgent moves [7, 8]. A better understanding of the impact of DVArelated ER visits will inform the importance of ongoing public health surveillance in the area of DVA, assessment of resource allocation required for its appropriate management and development of future preventative healthcare strategies to mitigate the burden in Canada

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Discussion

Conclusion