The work presented here represents an initial effort to provide
basic information about the knowledge and perception of
primary care providers about victims of DV. Future DV guidelines
and protocols may increase the identification of women
experiencing DV, but without ongoing commitment to their
implementation and staff training, identification drops sharply.
The potential value of guidelines lies in the standardization
of good practice, which, in the absence of intervention
studies around DV, must be based on local consensus rather
than evidence of effectiveness. This consensus will need to embrace
social and police as well as health care services