Primary health care attributes and responses to intimate partner violence in Spain

Abstract

Objective: This study provides an overview of the perceptions of primary care professionals on how thecurrent primary health care (PHC) attributes in Spain could influence health-related responses to intimatepartner violence (IPV).Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 160 health profes-sionals working in 16 PHC centres in Spain. Data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis.Results: Four categories emerged from the interview analysis: those committed to the PHC approach, butwith difficulties implementing it; community work relying on voluntarism; multidisciplinary team workor professionals who work together?; and continuity of care hindered by heavy work load. Participantsfelt that person-centred care as well as other attributes of the PHC approach facilitated detecting IPV anda better response to the problem. However, they also pointed out that the current management of thehealth system (workload, weak supervision and little feedback, misdistribution of human and materialresources, etc.) does not facilitate the sustainability of such an approach.Conclusion: There is a gap between the theoretical attributes of PHC and the “reality” of how theseattributes are managed in everyday work, and how this influences IPV care.

This study has been funded through a COFAS grant (supportedby COFUND action within the Marie Curie Action People, in the Sev-enth Framework programme and the Swedish Council for WorkingLife and Social Research/FAS-Forskningsradet för arbetsliv ochsocialvetenskap) through a competitive call. This work was partly supported by the Umeå Center for Global Health Research, funded by funded by FAS, the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (Grant no. 2006-1512).