Intimate partner violence in Kenya: expanding healthcare roles.

Aim: To identify health professionals' perceptions of their role working in the emergency department (ED) in managing and preventing intimate partner violence in Kenya.

Method: A qualitative research study was conducted involving in-depth interviews with one doctor, six nurses and four clinical officers who had worked in an ED for at least one year. Interviews were recorded on a digital voice recorder. Transcription and subsequent analysis of the interviews were done using NVivo 7 software for qualitative data. Emerging ideas were collated into themes and sub-themes.

Findings: Participants found themselves assuming diverse roles within and without the health setting, for example that of clinician, liaison officer, counsellor and health and community educators. These roles represented the wide scope of involvement of healthcare professionals in relation to intimate partner violence and were perceived as enhancing effectiveness in addressing domestic violence towards women.

Conclusion: Healthcare providers identified several roles that they assume to assist abused women. These roles were considered over and above the usual clinical roles that they are expected to perform.