ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIANS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MEDICAL ETHICS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Objective: Emergency physicians should conduct management of violence against women systematically and in accordance with ethical principles. Understanding and analyzing the ethical aspects of the attitudes and practices of emergency physicians in the management of Violence Against Women (VAW) is important. This study aimed to assess the attitudes and practices of emergency medicine physicians in the management of VAW cases in terms of medical ethics and to suggest a model for emergency services. Material and Method: This qualitative study was conducted on 32 physicians at the emergency medicine departments of six university hospitals in Ankara. Semi-structured questionnaire was used for in-depth interviews and the data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory from the medical ethics perspective. Observation form were used to evaluate the conditions of emergency departments. Results: The attitudes of emergency physicians, which reflect their ethical perspectives of VAW cases were categorized into the main themes of "skeptical approach," "approach to women," and "professional approach." The roles of physicians in VAW cases from the perspective of medical ethics are stated according to the themes of "history-taking," "diagnosis," "treatment," "preparing a forensic incident report," "forensic incident reporting," and "informing women about process." Observations showed that emergency services’ conditions significantly influence VAW case management. Conclusion: The management of VAW cases in emergency departments should not be left to physicians' personal attitudes and behaviors. It should be ensured that physicians are well-trained in the management of cases in emergency departments and that they adhere to the ethical and professional values.