[Description of registration of episodes of gender violence in medical records in the Principality of Asturias, Spain].
OBJECTIVE
To describe how episodes of gender violence notified to the Registro de Atención Sanitaria en Violencia contra las Mujeres del Principado de Asturias (VIMPA) are registered in the clinical records of a health area of this geographical region.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional, descriptive study in a sample of cases collected in the VIMPA Registry in 2005 and 2006. The variables analyzed were the way in which the episode of gender violence was coded and registered, the presence of antecedents, and the diagnostic agreement among documents.


RESULTS
A total of 51.7% of primary care patients were attended in a center with access to their medical records. A specific International Classification of Primary Care-2 (World Organisation of National Colleges and Academics) code of abuse was used in only 15.1%, while a written diagnosis was used in all cases in specialized care.


CONCLUSIONS
Episodes of gender violences were identified differently in distinct clinical documents. Our results point to the need for specific registries that would aid the combined use of distinct information sources.
Muslera-Canclini
Elvira
E
Unidad de Análisis y Programas, Servicio de Salud del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo, España. elvira.muslera@sespa.princast.es
Natal
Carmen
C
García
Vicente
V
Fernández-Muñoz
Paloma
P
D018585:Battered Women / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004630:Emergencies / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012008:Recurrence; D012042:Registries; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000145:classification / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000145:classification / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*