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A sexual assault referral service based on a hospital in a small Australian town
Author(s) -
Kille Mary L.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1986.tb113808.x
Subject(s) - referral , sexual assault , service (business) , small town , medicine , medical emergency , family medicine , nursing , suicide prevention , poison control , business , socioeconomics , sociology , marketing
A sexual assault referral service was established in a hospital in a small Tasmanian town in late 1976. The objectives and resources of the service, and different forms of patient management, are discussed. A study has been made of 100 consecutive patients who presented to the service, and their experiences of the short‐ and long‐term consequences of sexual assault are detailed. The special needs of the victims, and of the doctors who are involved in such a service, are defined and a recommendation is made for the establishment of similar services in small towns and country areas in other parts of Australia.