Barriers to screening for domestic violence

Area of Science:

• Medical Practice
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Domestic violence affects approximately 30% of women, yet physician detection rates remain critically low (1 in 20).
• Understanding the reasons behind low screening rates is crucial for improving patient care and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors contributing to low domestic violence screening rates by physicians.
• To explore perceived barriers that hinder effective domestic violence screening.

Main Methods:

• A national cross-sectional postal survey was conducted.
• 2,400 physicians across four relevant specialties participated, with a 53% response rate.
• Logistic models analyzed self-reported screening percentages and associated factors.

Main Results:

• Physicians screened a median of only 10% of female patients for domestic violence.
• Obstetrics-gynecology specialty, female physician gender, higher perceived prevalence, prior training, and confidence were linked to higher screening.
• Emergency medicine specialty, belief in patient self-disclosure, and forgetting to ask were associated with lower screening rates.

Conclusions:

• Physician screening for domestic violence is infrequent, indicating a significant gap in care.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of domestic violence training on physician confidence and screening rates.
• Investigating specific intervention strategies is essential to enhance domestic violence screening practices.