TY - JOUR
T1 - Health care workers' expectations and empathy toward patients in abusive relationships
AU - Nicolaidis, Christina
AU - Curry, Mary Ann
AU - Gerrity, Martha
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Purpose: To understand attitudes that may affect health care workers' ability to provide appropriate long-term care for patients who stay with abusive partners. Methods: We surveyed 278 health care workers in 31 primary care practices before their participation in an educational intervention. Results: More than half of participants (51% to 60%) found it easy to empathize with a patient who decided to remain in an abusive relationship if the patient was described as poor or disabled, but few (25% to 39%) could empathize if the patient was described as educated or financially secure. A majority (57% to 59%) agreed with a statement meant to assess unrealistic expectations. ("A provider's responsibility includes making sure a patient gets to a shelter right away if he or she discloses abuse.") Participants who agreed with this statement had more difficulty empathizing with patients who decided to stay with an abusive partner (P = .0045). Conclusions: Training efforts must focus on screening and on helping providers develop more realistic expectations about the complex nature of leaving an abusive relationship. Health care workers need a better understanding of the barriers patients face and why patients may choose to remain in abusive relationships, even in the absence of economic or health limitations.
AB - Purpose: To understand attitudes that may affect health care workers' ability to provide appropriate long-term care for patients who stay with abusive partners. Methods: We surveyed 278 health care workers in 31 primary care practices before their participation in an educational intervention. Results: More than half of participants (51% to 60%) found it easy to empathize with a patient who decided to remain in an abusive relationship if the patient was described as poor or disabled, but few (25% to 39%) could empathize if the patient was described as educated or financially secure. A majority (57% to 59%) agreed with a statement meant to assess unrealistic expectations. ("A provider's responsibility includes making sure a patient gets to a shelter right away if he or she discloses abuse.") Participants who agreed with this statement had more difficulty empathizing with patients who decided to stay with an abusive partner (P = .0045). Conclusions: Training efforts must focus on screening and on helping providers develop more realistic expectations about the complex nature of leaving an abusive relationship. Health care workers need a better understanding of the barriers patients face and why patients may choose to remain in abusive relationships, even in the absence of economic or health limitations.
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U2 - 10.3122/jabfm.18.3.159
DO - 10.3122/jabfm.18.3.159
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15879562
AN - SCOPUS:23044504938
SN - 0893-8652
VL - 18
SP - 159
EP - 165
JO - Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
JF - Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
IS - 3
ER -