Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38849123›Full record

SynthesisJournal of health services research & policy2025

Tools for the identification of victims of domestic abuse and modern slavery in remote services: A systematic review.

Bella Tomsett, Johanna Álvarez-Rodríguez, Nigel Sherriff, Natalie Edelman, Anne Gatuguta

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of health services research & policy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Strategies for preventing gender-based violence in healthcare services: Evidence synthesis for health policy.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Bella TomsettSchool of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-3636-7651
Johanna Álvarez-RodríguezSchool of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK.
Nigel SherriffSchool of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK.
Natalie EdelmanCentre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
Anne GatugutaDepartment of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo explore the technology-based tools available for supporting the identification of victims of domestic abuse and modern slavery in remote services and consider the benefits and challenges posed by the existing tools.

methodsWe searched six academic databases. Studies were considered for inclusion if they were published in English between 2000 and 2023. The QuADS quality appraisal tool was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. A narrative synthesis was conducted using the convergent integrated approach.

resultsTwenty-four studies were included, of which two were professional guidelines; each reported on a distinct technology-based tool for remote services. All tools related to domestic abuse and 21 focused on screening for intimate partner violence among young and mid-life women (18-65) in high-income countries. The review did not identify tools that support the identification of victims of modern slavery. We identified eight common themes of tool strengths, highlighting that the remote approach to screening was practical, acceptable to victims, and, in some circumstances, elicited better outcomes than face-to-face approaches. Five themes pointed to tool challenges, such as concerns around privacy and safety, and the inability of computerised tools to provide empathy and emotional support.

conclusionsAvailable technology-based tools may support the identification of victims of domestic abuse by health and social care practitioners in remote services. However, it is important to be mindful of the limitations of such tools and the effects individuals' screening preferences can have on outcomes. Future research should focus on developing tools to support the identification of victims of modern slavery, as well as empirically validating tools for screening during remote consultations.

Indexed as

Domestic ViolenceAdolescentAdultCrime VictimsEnslavementFemaleHumansMass ScreeningMiddle AgedYoung Adultdomestic abusemodern slaveryremote services

Identifiers

PMID38849123
PMCPMC11673303

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.