Women's perceptions and experiences of routine enquiry for domestic violence in a maternity service

Objective A qualitative study examining women's perceptions and experiences of routine enquiry for domestic violence in a maternity service. Design Purposive sampling was used to select a sub-sample from a larger group of women who participated in a domestic violence in pregnancy screening study undertaken at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals in London. Setting Interviews were conducted in women's homes and general practitioner's surgeries. Sample Ten women who experienced domestic violence in the last 12 months (including pregnancy), six women who experienced domestic violence in the last 12 months, but not in pregnancy, and 16 women with no history of domestic violence. Methods Semi-structured interviews conducted during the postpartum period (up to 14 months). Main outcome measures Women's views on the acceptability and relevance of routine enquiry for domestic violence. Results Routine enquiry for domestic violence in maternity settings is acceptable to women if conducted in a safe, confidential environment by a trained health professional who is empathic and non-judgemental. The effectiveness of routine enquiry to elicit a history of domestic violence is influenced by factors such as lack of time, confidential consulting time, continuity of care, training and availability of resources. Conclusions Further research is needed to determine whether the use of on-site specialist domestic violence workers will increase midwives' ability to routinely enquire about domestic violence.