Evaluation of Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exams: Payment Practices and Policies in the United States, 2011

The survey of state Service Training Officers Prosecutors (STOP) administrators (SSA Data, 106 variables, n = 52) and the survey of state-level sexual assault coalitions (Coalitions Data, 101 variables, n = 47) both include variables on laws or policies that provide for free of charge medical forensic exams (MFE), anonymous reporting, required reporting to law enforcement, and requirements for medical facilities conducting MFEs to follow chain of custody procedures. Other variables ask about what works well under their current system and known issues. Additional variables in the SSA data ask about where and how sexual assault exam kits are stored, and when and how STOP funds are used, what STOP exams cover (including fees for the MFE, emergency room fees, pregnancy tests, sexually transmitted disease testing, follow-up treatment, and counseling). The Coalition data includes additional variables asking about law enforcement procedures and procedural models for law enforcement. The survey of victim compensation fund administrators (Compensation Data, 29 variables, n = 26) includes variables on whether special procedures are used for medical forensic exams, what victims can receive compensation for, reasons a compensation request might be denied, and reasons why compensation may vary.The survey of local community-based victim service providers (Local Provider Data, 85 variables, n = 489) includes variables that describe the area they serve (large, medium or small city, suburban or rural, small town or combination of small towns, college or university, or tribal area). Other variables ask about the policies of their locality, including whether MFEs are provided free of charge, whether reporting to the police is mandatory, if the victim can ask to use a pseudonym or report the assault anonymously, and whether medical facilities store sexual assault evidence. Additional variables ask about who stores MFEs and where they are stored, as well as variables on challenges faced and what is currently working well.