title: Trends in public health policies addressing violence against women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the content of policies and action plans within the public healthcare system that addresses the issue of violence against women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive and comparative study was conducted on the health policies and plans in Catalonia and Costa Rica from 2005 to 2011. It uses a qualitative methodology with documentary analysis. It is classified by topics that describe and interpret the contents. We considered dimensions, such as principles, strategies, concepts concerning violence against women, health trends, and evaluations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen public policy documents were analyzed. In both countries' contexts, we have provided an overview of violence against women as a problem whose roots are in gender inequality. The strategies of gender policies that address violence against women are cultural exchange and institutional action within the public healthcare system. The actions of the healthcare sector are expanded into specific plans. The priorities and specificity of actions in healthcare plans were the distinguishing features between the two countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The common features of the healthcare plans in both the counties include violence against women, use of protocols, detection tasks, care and recovery for women, and professional self-care. Catalonia does not consider healthcare actions with aggressors. Costa Rica has a lower specificity in conceptualization and protocol patterns, as well as a lack of updates concerning health standards in Catalonia.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Kattia Rojas
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Loría
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Teresa Gutiérrez
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Rosado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología Social y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Leonor María Cantera
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudios de la Mujer, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Leda María Marenco
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Marrochi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability Research and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sidney, Sidney, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna Fernández
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sánchez
mesh_terms: D018585:Battered Women; D003364:Costa Rica; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D011640:Public Policy / Q000639:trends*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D013179:Spouse Abuse