Confronting Violence

Guidelines for the Treatment of Battered Women Victims in Emergency Room Settings, 1985

Daniel Sheridan and four other colleagues wrote this set of guidelines for treating battered women in emergency rooms, for staff at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. The explicit descriptions and directions revealed the extent to which hospital emergency room personnel needed to be informed and educated about the prevalence of patients seeking care for domestic abuse injuries. The guidelines provided specific recommendations for physical and emotional assessments, as well as an appendix with shelter and legal referrals.

Courtesy National Library of Medicine