Domestic Violence Update

Target Audience: This activity is designed for professionals at all levels and settings in the healthcare industry.

Activity Description
Domestic or family violence affects everyone, regardless of gender, race, education, profession, or socioeconomic status. Both abusers and victims come from diverse backgrounds. Health care professionals who focus on a single individual are missing the dysfunctional dynamics that sustain all abusive relationships. In the context of domestic violence, professional responsibilities for health care workers fall within the primary categories of recognition, intervention, and prevention. Many of these responsibilities are legally mandated, but none can be accomplished without overall awareness.

This course defines domestic violence as family violence, and further differentiates the categories of intimate partner violence, child abuse and neglect, and elder & dependent adult abuse, mistreatment and neglect. The dynamics of domestic violence are presented using Pence and Paymer'€™s power and control wheel as a guiding explanatory model.1 Common forms of domestic violence are described and categorized and their effects within the family are reviewed. The core content within this course addresses concerns that are common to all forms of domestic violence. Health care professionals'€™ responsibilities and mandates regarding recognition, intervention, reporting, documentation and prevention of domestic violence are all addressed. This course meets criteria for continuing education in Florida and provides a general background of information that is applicable to health care professionals residing in any portion of the United States.

Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:

-Define domestic violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse and neglect, and elder and dependent adult abuse, mistreatment and neglect;
-Describe the characteristics of abuse, mistreatment, and neglect;
-Identify the primary components of the power and control wheel;
-Explain the three phases of abuse;
-Differentiate the defining characteristics for physical, sexual, psychological and environmental abuse;
-Describe screening procedures for determining whether a patient has any history of being a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence;
-Describe the major health implications of domestic violence, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, mistreatment, and neglect;
-Identify where to locate community, regional and national resources available for those affected by abuse;
-Describe how to report and implement strategies that support suspected victims of domestic violence, elder and dependent adult abuse, mistreatment or neglect in the state in which the health care professional practices.

Method of Participation
In order to receive credit, participants should read the entire monograph, complete and submit an evaluation and score at least 70% on the self-assessment test. AKH Inc. allows for one (1) re-test at no additional charge; additional re-tests must be purchased again at the full cost. Statements of Credit will be available upon successful completion of the self-assessment test. If you have questions about this CME/CE activity, please contact AKH Inc. at service@akhcme.com.

Disclosure Declaration
It is the policy of AKH Inc. to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. The faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with commercial interests whose products or devices may be mentioned in the activity or with the commercial supporter of this continuing education activity. Identified conflict of interest is resolved by AKH prior to accreditation of the activity. AKH planners and reviewers have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use and Investigational Products
This educational activity does not include discussion of uses of agents that are investigational and/or unapproved by the FDA. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer
AKH Inc.’s activities are designed solely to provide healthcare professionals with information to assist in their practice and professional development. The activities are researched thoroughly, utilizing current literature and including practical experiences. AKH’s activities are not to be considered a diagnostic tool to replace professional advice or treatment. The activities serve as a general guide to the healthcare professional, and therefore, they cannot be considered as giving legal, nursing, medical, or other professional advice in specific cases. AKH educational activities do not endorse commercial products. The author(s) and the publisher specifically disclaim responsibility for any adverse consequences resulting directly or indirectly from information in the activities. AKH further disclaims any responsibility for undetected errors, or from the reader’s misunderstanding of the activity.

Copyright © 2013 AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.