Attitudes and beliefs of emergency department doctors towards domestic violence in Hong Kong

A questionnaire was sent to all doctors working in emergency departments in Hong Kong to survey their attitudes and beliefs towards domestic violence. Beliefs concerning privacy and traditional cultural values were found to be important factors affecting the doctor's ability to identify cases of wife abuse. Most respondents had no formal training in this area and felt inadequate in the handling of domestic violence cases. Ways to improve training and identification of at risk cases are discussed.