FAMSACA Medicolegal Matters
A podcast focussing on report writing and giving evidence in criminal matters in court. Intended for doctors and nurses who see patients who have experienced violence, abuse or neglect.
Episodes
32 episodes
Enacting an “Empowerment Approach” After Sexual Assault
This month we talk with sexual assault nurse examiner Prudence Boylan. The paper discussed is:Driver M. Enacting an “Empowerment Approach” After Sexual Assault: The Views and Beliefs of Forensic Nurse Examiners and Crisis Support Workers...
Characteristics of alleged sexual assaults involving non-fatal strangulation
This month we talk with FAMSACA’s Education Officer, Tracey Markham. The paper discussed is:Thomas R, Willmot K, Seimon R, Derrick N, Dinh MM, Templeton DJ. Characteristics of alleged sexual assaults involving non-fatal strangulation at ...
Identifying the prevalence of genital injuries
This month we talk with sexual assault nurse examiner Emily McGrath about injuries following digital-vaginal penetration. The papers discussed are:Majeed-Ariss, R., Martin, G. P., & White, C. (2024). Identifying the prevalence of gen...
More than meets the eye
FAMSACA committee member and all-round good guy Cassie Noble talks us through the following study:Parekh V, McMinn J, Brkic A, Williams D, Boxx C, Bailey L, Reid K. More than meets the eye: Lid and conjunctival injuries in cases of no...
Ethical Conundrum
In this episode, Tracey Markham discusses the ability to consent to a sexual assault medical forensic examination in adult patients with serious mental illness.Host: Assoc Prof Kathy KramerGuest: Tracey Markham
Prosecutors' Perspectives on Evidence in Sexual Assault Cases
Kath Evans discusses an American paper looking at how prosecutors utilise evidence that corroborates the victim's account.Reference:M.Alderden, T.Cross, M.Vlajnic and L.Siller. Prosecutors’ Perspectives on Biological...
Non-Fatal Strangulation
In this episode, Assoc Prof Kathy Kramer talks about two recent studies that cover the same topic of non-fatal strangulation.References:Panagides et al. Enhancing foundational validity of forensic findings in nonlethal medico-l...
"They made a hard day feel a little easier" - Patients’ experience of an integrated crisis response following recent sexual assault
This study explores the experiences of recent sexual assault survivors who accessed integrated crisis response services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. There is limited research on the experiences of victim-survivors, and most available st...
Doxycycline - a potential game changer in STI prevention?
In this episode, we dive into the latest research on doxycycline as a potential game-changer in STI prevention. A new systematic review and meta-analysis has shown promising results for using doxycycline as a prophylactic treatment to reduce th...
Survivor Perspective
In our final and most important episode, two victim-survivors who both had a medical and forensic examination, hold up a mirror to our profession. It's not easy to listen to but we owe it to them to sit with our discomfort and hear...
Self-Care
In this conversation with experts Elisabeth Awad and Carolyn Cousins, we discuss self-care - how can we protect ourselves from our work?Guests: Elisabeth Awad and Carolyn CousinsHost: Kathy Kramer
Cross-examination – what could possibly go wrong?
Tracey Markham and Kathy Kramer put their acting skills to the test as experienced advocate Hayley Dean demonstrates good, bad, and downright ugly expert witness testimony.Hosts: Kathy Kramer and Tracey MarkhamGuest: Hayley Dean...
LGBTQI Issues
In this episode the delightful Hamish Whelan, Sexual Violence Consult Service Lead at ACON, talks us through ways to engage with LGBTQI+ patients – how to earn trust and tailor our care to individual needs.Host: Kathy KramerGuest: H...
Strangulation
In this episode, FAMSACA has had the good fortune to interview one of Australia’s absolute experts on presenting evidence about non-fatal strangulation in court, Dr Anousha Victoire.Host: Kathy KramerGuest: Dr Anousha Victoire
Medical Care
Season 2 is a deep dive into various topics, starting with medical care with our special guests Ellie Freedman and Kath Evans. How has medical care following sexual assault evolved and where is it heading?Host: Kathy KramerGuests: D...
A Reflection on Clinical Forensic Medicine
Professor David Ranson reflects on changes in forensic medicine over his long career and gives his thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of different models of forensic service delivery in Australia. He talks about interesting new developmen...
Communicating Expert Evidence
Professor Kristy Martire discusses her fascinating work looking at communicating expert evidence, communicating uncertainty, bias and the impact of witness likability.Host: Carol StevensonGuest: Professor Kristy Martire
Preparing for Court
In this episode Dr Shalu Singh and Dr Kathy Kramer talk about prepping for court and ideas for debriefing afterwards.
Writing an Opinion - Part 2
In this episode we continue our discussion on how to set out an opinion and the use of standard opinion paragraphs.Hosts: Carol Stevenson and Kathy Kramer
Writing an Opinion - Part 1
In this episode we will discuss how to set out an opinion and the use of standard opinion paragraphs.Hosts: Carol Stevenson and Kathy Kramer
The Content of the Opinion
In this episode we discuss what should be covered in the opinion section of a report.Hosts: Carol Stevenson and Kathy KramerGuests: David Ranson and David Wells
Observations and exam findings: Part 2
In episode 11 we discuss controversial areas influencing decisions to document examination findings and general observations. We discuss observations of demeanour, mental state, and the examination of a patient with a history of recent alcohol ...
Observations and exam findings: Part 1
In episodes 10 and 11 we discuss controversial areas influencing decisions to document examination findings and general observations. We will cover the physical examination, observations of demeanour, mental state observations, and the examinat...