An Oklahoma State University study has concluded that an episode of ABCs Greys Anatomy medical drama contributed to heightened public awareness of sexual assault.

The study,published in the journalJAMA Internal Medicine earlier this month, claimed that the March episode, Silent All These Years,helped raise the profile of the group RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). A key was the call-out by series star Ellen Pompeo at the end of the episode, encouraging victims to call the organizations hotline.

The OKU research found that searches for the terms RAINN spiked by 41 percent and rape by 8 percent following the episodes airing. On Twitter, tweets with sexual assault hotline and RAINN increased by more than 1,000 percent. Beyond social media, calls to RAINN increased by 43 percent in the 48 hours after the episode, the organization claimed.

In the episode, a patient named Abby (played by Khalilah Joi) was sexually assaulted, but reluctant to report the crime because she feared not being believed.

Abby was eventually convinced to undergo a sex assault forensic exam. As Abby is wheeled into surgery to fix a tear in her diaphragm, all the female hospital employees line the hallway to the OR, shielding a skittish Abby from males.

Watch the video of that clip above.

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Greys Anatomy Contributed To Public Awareness Of Sexual Assault Report - Deadline