Development and validation of a data quality index for forensic documentation of sexual and gender-based violence in Kenya

High-quality forensic documentation can improve justice outcomes for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, but there are limited tools to assess documentation data quality. The study aimed to develop and validate a data quality assessment index to objectively assess clinician documentation across the 26 key elements of the standardized forensic evidence forms used in Kenya.

Quality assurance of forensic documentation is an essential component of post-sexual assault care. Physicians for Human Rights believe this to be the first validated quality-assessment tool in the peer-reviewed literature for sexual assault documentation and that it may be a promising strategy to enhance the quality of sexual assault documentation in other settings, locally, regionally, and internationally.