A new resource is available for medical practitioners to help treat brain injury in survivors of intimate partner violence.
A first-of-its-kind resource is now available to help medical providers recognize and respond to brain injury from intimate partner violence.
The Intimate Partner Violence Traumatic Brain Injury Medical Provider Resource is designed to educate doctors and nurse practitioners in treating brain injury for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). Created by an interdisciplinary team of 11 clinicians, researchers, advocates and persons with lived experience in Canada and the United States, the guide is a first step to providing better medical care for a currently underserved patient population, says Dr. Paul van Donkelaar, a Faculty of Health and Social Development Professor at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
Globally, one in three women will experience violence at the hands of a partner—Statistics Canada puts that number at 44 per cent in this country. Research indicates as many as 92 per cent of survivors may also experience one or more brain injuries from blows to the face, head and neck, and through strangulation.
Dr. van Donkelaar is an expert on concussions. He is co-founder and scientific advisor for Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR) and one of the authors of the guide.
Read the full story here: UBC Okanagan News