Documenting Domestic Violence: How Health Care Providers Can Help Victims

Well-documented medical records can strengthen domestic violence cases when they are brought to court. They constitute third-party, factual evidence corroborating or establishing that abuse has occurred, however, many medical records contain shortcomings that prevent their admissibility as evidence in court and other legal proceedings. This Research in Brief outlines how health care providers can improve the admissibility of evidence and strengthen the case of domestic violence victims.