NCJ Number
200136
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 458-465
Date Published
April 2003
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article evaluates the detection and documentation of intimate partner violence (IPV).
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess rates of screening for IPV 18 months following introduction of a screening item on the intake form and to examine how well IPV cases were documented according to current standards. The charts of 527 women aged 18 to 65 in the emergency department of an academic medical center were reviewed over a 4 week period. The 63-item chart review form was designed to collect patients’ demographic information, identify whether patients had been screened for domestic violence, and assess how domestic violence was documented among women screening positive. Results show that 29 percent of the charts indicated patients were screened, and 15 percent were positive for IPV. Prevalence of lifetime exposure to IPV was 4.4 percent, and prevalence of current IPV was 2.8 percent. Documentation of existing abuse, except for some details of the assault, was poor. Few aspects of patient safety were charted. Examples of this included whether the patient felt safe going home or whether a gun was in the home. It was concluded that screening and documentation rates in emergency departments are far from optimal. Future studies should use methods piloted in this study to assess the quality of documentation across a broader spectrum of victims. A multi-component approach to hospital-based screening is needed to meet the needs of women experiencing IPV. The approach should include provider training, on-site support for documentation and follow-up, and community-based intervention. 1 table, 13 references