title: Domestic violence: variation in case-management by the general practitioner in Belgium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to describe the medical interventions and referrals carried out by the general practitioner (GP) when taking care of victims and to quantify the between-physician variability in management of domestic violence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide sentinel network of 150 general practitioners, covering 1.5 % of the Belgian population, registered in 2002-2004 all episodes of domestic violence for which they were consulted, via paper registration forms. A multilevel analysis was carried out by fitting a random effects logistic regression model for every intervention/referral.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent interventions of the GP were providing a certificate of injury (54 %), and making an appointment for a next visit (33 %). Half of the patients were referred or hospitalised upon the first consultation, most frequently they were advised to go to the police (17 %) or referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist (11 %). The intra cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) of the interventions varied between 11 % and 39 % and the median odds ratios between 1,82 and 3,96.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GP consultations for domestic violence are frequent and involve considerable between-physician variability in care.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute of Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology, J. Wytsmanstraat 14, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium. nathalie.bossuyt@iph.fgov.be
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bossuyt
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: van Casteren
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D019090:Case Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003068:Coercion; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D012737:Sex Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D055815:Young Adult