New Guidelines for Hospital Treatment of Women Victims of Violence published on the Italian Official Journal

16 Apr New Guidelines for Hospital Treatment of Women Victims of Violence published on the Italian Official Journal

New Guidelines for Hospital Treatment of Women Victims of Violence published on the Italian Official Journal

The Italian Equal Opportunities Department under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers informs that the “Italian National Guidelines for Health Authorities and Hospitals in case of First Aid and Socio-Medical Assistance for Women Victims of Violence” have been published on the Official Journal on February 2018.

The new guidelines track a path for women who suffer violence and who are subject to physical, sexual and psychological harassment, in order to guarantee an appropriate and prompt taking charge of them by hospitals. The new path starts from triage and goes on till the accompanying and/or orientation measures towards the public or private support services available on the territory, if the women agrees on that. The eventual support actions involve also her kids, who can be witness or victim of violence themselves. Following the diagnostic and therapeutic treatment, the healthcare operator in charge of taking care of the woman adopts the observation instrument called “Brief Risk Assessment for the Emergency Department” elaborated by the Ministry of Health. This helps the operator of the Emergency Department of the Hospital to correctly assess the recidivism risk and to adopt different discharge options from the hospital, as described in the Guidelines. The Guidelines include also the continuous updating of healthcare operators, as fundamental element to act efficient measures of hospitality, taking charge, risk assessment and prevention.

The new Italian Guidelines have been elaborated by a group of experts working for the National Observatory on Sexual and Gender-based Violence Phenomenon, settled in November 2016.

The Guidelines should be adopted within one year after their entry into force by the publication on the Italian Official Journal, namely within February 2019.

Page of the new on the Italian Equal Opportunities Department website:

https://www.pariopportunita.gov.it/news/le-linee-guida-ospedaliere-per-le-donne-vittime-di-violenza/

Link to the Guidelines on the Italian Official Journal:

https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2018/01/30/18A00520/SG