Examination of repeat family and domestic violence hospitalisations

Background

This project aims to examine the role that linked hospitals data can play in improving the evidence base on repeat family and domestic violence hospitalisations nationally and in particular, inform outcome six of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children 2010–2022: that "perpetrators stop their violence and are held to account". It will expand the evidence base using linked hospitalisation data to examine the characteristics of individuals hospitalised on more than one occasion due to family and domestic violence, including the relationship to the perpetrator.

Aim

This project will examine the number of people who were hospitalised and re-hospitalised for family and domestic violence in Australia from 2010–11 to 2018–19. It will examine, at the national level, the demographic characteristics of people with repeat hospitalisations, the relationship to the perpetrators, the types of injuries associated with each hospitalisation, and the total number of family and domestic violence and all cause hospitalisations.

Methods

This project will use the AIHW’s National Integrated Health Services Information Analysis Asset (NIHSI AA). This dataset contains hospitalisation data from 2010–11 to 2018–19, which will be used to examine people with at least one hospitalisation due to family and domestic violence (FDV). An FDV hospitalisation is defined as those with at least one external cause of injury coded as assault (ICD codes of X85–Y09) where the perpetrator is specified as a partner, parent or other family member. Hospitalisation patterns will also be compared to a control group, to determine whether there are differences in overall hospitalisation experiences.

Significance

In addition to being the first national data source able to examine repeat FDV hospitalisations, the project will also examine whether those who experience FDV have higher levels of hospitalisation than a matched comparison group. Higher rates of hospitalisation may be due to undisclosed FDV experiences, as well as other complications as a result of FDV (for example ongoing injury management and resulting mental health conditions). Understanding the scale and characteristics of hospital interactions among those who experience FDV may help identify people who are at risk of re-victimisation and further hospitalisation.

Funding Body

Australian Government

Project start date

July 2020

Expected completion date

March 2022