Diderich Hester M, Fekkes Minne, Dechesne Mark, Buitendijk Simone E, Oudesluys-Murphy Anne Marie
Emergency Department, Medical Centre Haaglanden, Lijnbaan 32, PO Box 432, 2501 CK The Hague, The Netherlands.
Department of Child Health, TNO, Wassenaarseweg 56, PO Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden, The Netherlands.
Int Emerg Nurs. 2015 Apr;23(2):203-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ienj.2014.09.004. Epub 2014 Sep 19.
The Hague Protocol is used by professionals at the adult Emergency Departments (ED) in The Netherlands to detect child abuse based on three parental characteristics: (1) domestic violence, (2) substance abuse or (3) suicide attempt or self-harm. After detection, a referral is made to the Reporting Center for Child Abuse and Neglect (RCCAN). This study investigates whether implementing this Protocol will lead parents to avoid medical care.
We compared the number of patients (for whom the Protocol applied) who attended the ED prior to implementation with those attending after implementation. We conducted telephone interviews (n = 14) with parents whose children were referred to the RCCAN to investigate their experience with the procedure.
We found no decline in the number of patients, included in the Protocol, visiting the ED during the 4 year implementation period (2008-2011). Most parents (n = 10 of the 14 interviewed) were positive and stated that they would, if necessary, re-attend the ED with the same complaints in the future.
ED nurses and doctors referring children based on parental characteristics do not have to fear losing these families as patients.
