Documentation and preservation of visual evidence in child abuse

Careful documentation of injuries provides key information for assessment and evidence in child abuse cases. Visual images of medical findings may influence courts and can be used for consultation, peer review, and teaching. Electronic documentation technologies such as still cameras, video cameras, colposcopes, and computer-based imaging allow medical practitioners to preserve visual evidence in an increasingly sophisticated manner. This article discusses the justification for and equipment used to obtain and preserve visual evidence in either still or video format. It also explores a variety of processing, storage, duplication, and computer transmission modalities.