LAUSR

People affected by intimate partner violence (IPV) and/or sexualized violence (especially women, children and LGBTIQ*) have long-term health consequences (WHO 2016: 6). The WHO Guideline (2013) and the Istanbul Convention (2016) demand systematic and structurally anchored services at the level of care, education, training of health professions and public health research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the service provided at emergency rooms (ERs) in hospitals in Berlin, Germany. A questionnaire with quantitative and qualitative questions including dimensions of existing interventions, available resources of trained staff and institutional frameworks was sent to the management of the 37 hospitals with ERs in Berlin. Descriptive-statistical methods were used to analyze the current state of care provided. (Response rate: 76 percent (n = 28)) The care often depends on individual decisions of staff members of the ER: 5 ERs report the existence of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for IPV, 6 for sexualised violence. Awareness of demographic characteristics of diversity varies widely across ERs; no staff specifically trained to serve for the needs of LGBTIQ* is available; 25% offer a gender-specific choice of doctors; 11 ERs co-hospitalize children affected by IPV. The institutional framework and the awareness of demographic characteristics of diversity in ERs influence the services provided on a regular basis to people affected by IPV and/or sexualized violence. Development of SOP, qualification of health care professionals (HCP) and systematic collection and evaluation of related data are needed in order to implement the WHO guidelines and the provisions of the Istanbul Convention. Public health research regarding the care provided for people affected by IPV or sexualized violence by ERs in Berlin demonstrate the demand for guiding standard procedures and qualification of HCP. The systematic collection and evaluation of relevant data should be implemented in all countries that have signed the Istanbul Convention.