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. 2024 Jan-Dec:20:17455057241252958.
doi: 10.1177/17455057241252958.

Telemedicine and virtual healthcare for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence: A qualitative study

Olivia Mercier  1   2 , Rabea Parpia  1 , Justin Presseau  2   3   4 , Katherine A Muldoon  2   5   6 , Kari Sampsel  2   3   7
Affiliations

Telemedicine and virtual healthcare for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence: A qualitative study

Olivia Mercier et al. Womens Health (Lond). 2024 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence often face many challenges in seeking/receiving healthcare and are often lost to follow up.

Objectives: Our study objectives are to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction of using telemedicine technology among sexual assault and intimate partner violence patients who present to a Canadian Emergency Department.

Design: Qualitative research was conducted using a thematic approach.

Methods: Patients were identified from a case registry of all sexual assault and intimate partner violence cases seen between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2022 from an emergency department of a large Canadian hospital. Qualitative trauma-informed interviews were conducted with consenting participants. Thematic qualitative analyses were performed to investigate barriers and drivers of telemedicine for follow-up care.

Results: Of the 1007 sexual assault and intimate partner violence patients seen during the study timeframe, 180 (8%) consented to be contacted for future research, and 10 completed an interview regarding telemedicine for follow-up care. All participants were cisgendered women, 5 (50%) experienced sexual assault, 6 (60%) physical assault, and 3 (30%) verbal assault. All knew their assailant, and 6 (60%) were assaulted by a current or former intimate partner. Three themes emerged as drivers of telemedicine use: increased comfort, increased convenience, and less time required for the appointment. Three thematic barriers to telemedicine use included lack of privacy from others, lack of safety from their assailant, and pressure to balance competing tasks during the appointment.

Conclusion: This study illustrated that telemedicine for sexual assault and intimate partner violence follow-up care is feasible, acceptable, and can improve patient satisfaction with follow-up care. Ensuring safety and privacy are key considerations when offering telemedicine as an appropriate option for survivors.

Keywords: domestic violence; emergency department; gender-based violence; intimate partner violence; sexual assault; telemedicine.

Plain language summary

A qualitative analysis of telemedicine and virtual healthcare for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violenceWhy was the study done? Sexual assault and intimate partner violence are prevalent issues in our society. More than 3/10 Canadian women have been sexually assaulted at least once since the age of 15 years and more than 4/10 Canadian women have experienced IPV in their lifetime. Survivors face many obstacles to receiving care after sexual assault and intimate partner violence and are often lost to follow up.What did the researchers do?The researchers studied the acceptability, feasibility, and satisfaction of using telemedicine technology among sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors who presented to a Canadian Emergency Department. Sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors were interviewed individually about their experience receiving follow-up care via telemedicine. The interviews were done using a trauma-informed approach, and data analyses were done to explore the barriers and drivers of telemedicine for follow-up care.What did the researchers find?The total number of interviews was 10, and all participants were cisgendered women. All knew their assailant and six were assaulted by a current or former intimate partner. Survivors found that telemedicine was an accessible way to have a follow-up appointment and were mostly satisfied with their experience. Three major drivers to using telemedicine included increased comfort being at home in their own space, increased convenience as they did not have to leave their house to have the appointment, and less time required for the appointment. Three major barriers to using telemedicine included lack of privacy from others during the appointment, pressure to balance competing tasks during the appointment, and lack of safety from their assailant.What do the findings mean?This study has shown that follow-up care for sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors using telemedicine can be feasible, acceptable, and can improve patient satisfaction. However, it is important to consider factors such as safety and privacy on an individual basis when offering telemedicine as an option for follow-up care for survivors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Our data are not currently available, as publishing the videos and/or text files of our qualitative interviews would be considered a breach of confidentiality. If interested in any study materials (e.g. interview guides, protocols), please contact the research team.

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