Journal review
Glass N, Dearwater S, Campbell J. Intimate partner violence screening and intervention: Data from 11 Pennsylvania and California community hospital emergency departments. J Emerg Nurs 2001; 27:141-149.
Although the vast majority of women supported routine screening for intimate partner violence (IPV), less than 25% said they were asked about IPV by ED staff, says this study from Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in Baltimore.
The researchers anonymously surveyed women over 18 who came to the ED during selected shifts in 11 hospitals from 1995 through 1997. The 18-item questionnaire, which asked about physical, emotional, and sexual IPV, was given to 4,641 female patients.
More women reported abuse if they came to the ED because of acute trauma from abuse (39%) than if they had been abused within the last year (13%). A significantly higher number of women reported past year and lifetime IPV when the questionnaire was self-administered than when it was given by a nurse. Seventy-six percent of women who acknowledged being abused in the past year came to the ED for reasons other than the acknowledged abuse. The majority of women (76%-90%) agreed with mandatory reporting of IPV to the police, but women abused recently were less likely to support this practice. ED staff were more likely to screen women for abuse only if the patient presented with an acute injury.
The researchers recommend the following interventions:
• Assess for abuse after the patient is taken to the examination room instead of at triage, so the patient’s presenting injury or complaint can be fully assessed first.
• Ask all women, not just those presenting with an injury, about abuse.
• Change forms to include prompts for screening and intervention.
• Offer systematic, repeated training of ED staff about routine screening.
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