O-20 Clinical and Policy Guidelines on Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence

Methods: The process included a review of relevant national legislation, policy, and practices, Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) and other guidance documents on healthcare for women subjected to violence. Evidence-based practices from these documents were included in consultations on their appropriateness in  the T&T context.  Multidisciplinary  teams of frontline health workers from each of the five Regional Health Authorities were consulted in groups of 6-13 participants, with individual follow-up discussions about scale up needs (November 2020 – March 2021). Interviews were held with 6 senior stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, Office of the Prime Minister-Gender Affairs, National HIV/AIDS Coordinating Committee and 4 civil society agencies. A multidisciplinary team of health policy practitioners and PAHO/ WHO oversaw the process and revisions to the Guidelines based on stakeholder feedback.

Results: Participants provided recommendations to integrate quality standards into routine clinical practice. These were incorporated into National Clinical and Policy Guidelines on IPV and SV, consistent with national policy and evidence-based guidance. The Guidelines incorporate human rights principles and pathways of care including the identification of violence, clinical and psychosocial care, safety planning, referrals, prevention and care during public health emergencies. They were approved by the Ministry of Health on 15 August 2022. 

Conclusion: The methods outlined provide a systematic approach to facilitate implementation of evidence-based practices. They underscore the importance of government leadership, consensus building, collaboration and feedback from professionals across health, social service and civil society sectors in addressing violence as a public health issue. Training of trainers has been undertaken to ensure implementation.