The South Australia HealthPathways programme team developed a robust clinical pathway to help ensure local GPs have the right tools to help combat domestic and family violence. Cameille Ambler, a Streamliners technical writer and trainer, says it’s rewarding to see clinical editors she has trained take part in such meaningful work.
Groundbreaking pathway helps tackle family violence
Domestic and family violence is a huge issue in Australia. According to Women’s Safety Services SA, on average one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. Intimate partner violence is currently seen as the greatest health risk factor for women in Australia aged 25-44 years.
To help combat domestic and family violence, the South Australia HealthPathways programme team developed a robust clinical pathway integrating research evidence and deep sector engagement.
GPs are in a unique position to respond to domestic and family violence if they have the right tools. Simply knowing the right questions to ask can be a significant intervention step to identify and support people experiencing domestic and family violence.
Dr Brian Gue, who was conducting research for his GP Registrar training (with support from the University of Adelaide) offered to work with HealthPathways South Australia (SA) to help address family violence issues by starting to develop a Domestic and Family Violence pathway.
Research for the pathway involved focus groups with health professionals working in the domestic and family violence sector, GPs, social service agencies, and others involved in supporting people experiencing domestic and family violence. Input from diverse stakeholders ensured the pathway was robust, and the published result supports healthcare providers with practical tools to support victim-survivors.
“The development of this clinical pathway for family violence marks a significant achievement, which underlines the importance of collaboration, research, and community engagement. It demonstrates the power of collective effort in addressing one of society's most pressing issues,” says Suzi Pedler, GP Clinical Editor HealthPathways South Australia.
“Our new pathways not only facilitate immediate response but also foster long-term benefits by equipping GPs with the skills and resources necessary to provide effective ongoing support for domestic and family violence victim-survivors."
HealthPathways SA is a partnership between SA Health, Adelaide PHN, and Country SA PHN.
Meet Cameille
Hi, I’m Cameille Ambler, a technical writer and trainer at Streamliners. I help develop content for HealthPathways, and I also train new writers and programme teams – helping them structure content clearly and communicate effectively so that health professionals can get the information they need, quickly.
One of the rewarding parts of my role is seeing the impact of that support as clinical editors go on to lead meaningful projects. For example, I had the chance to train Dr Brian Gue, one of the clinical editors involved in developing South Australia’s Domestic and Family Violence pathways. It’s inspiring to see how our work contributes to something that helps GPs better support victim-survivors of violence.
I enjoy the balance of writing, problem-solving, and working alongside others to make processes smoother and learning easier. It’s satisfying to help someone grow in confidence with the tools we use or make a tricky bit of content easier to understand.
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