Australian Doctor has launched this series on Doctors Act On Domestic Violence in a bid to raise awareness of the issues that surround the delivery of high-quality care to this vulnerable patient group.

We have talked to GPs who have themselves experienced domestic violence, as well as to doctors who counsel perpetrators. We have investigated some of the most physically and mentally damaging aspects of domestic violence that include strangulation and reproductive coercion.

And we have pulled together a comprehensive Australian resource guide that we hope GPs and other healthcare professionals will find valuable in managing these patients, who often present in primary care before seeking help anywhere else.

We are also inviting readers to share their thoughts (and our features) on domestic violence on social media using the hashtag #GPsmakethedifference.