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Table 3 Guidance for practices about DVA disclosures in remote consultations from PPI group

From: General practice wide adaptations to support patients affected by DVA during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid qualitative study

•It is vital to establish whether the person can speak freely and safely; have a low threshold to arrange to speak to people alone, including arranging repeated calls or face-to-face appointments at a time which the person chooses

•You can create non-verbal opportunities for help-seeking, for example having posters in reception areas and consulting rooms that patients can look at to signal to a member of the GP practice team that they have a need for a conversation at a safe time

•Access to primary care consultations can be difficult to negotiate. Consider accepting a simple request such as ‘a need for a face-to-face’ appointment, without questioning. Requiring requests for appointments in writing, including through online triage, can be a barrier to care, as this may not be safe or private for the person

•While recording DVA in medical records can be an important tool for promoting safety, this is not without potential risks and complications (e.g., perpetrators trying to access victim’s medical records). Practice team awareness of these risks and the development of safe and confidential strategies and systems when communicating as a GP team are essential

•Kindness, and developing trust and rapport enable care for people affected by DVA; continuity of care supports this and can be actively nurtured