Health care providers' perceptions and practices of screening for domestic violence in Upper Egypt

To explore the attitude of health care providers about screening for and dealing with domestic violence in the health care setting and to assess the physicians screening behavior.

We surveyed physicians and nurses working in different departments of Assiut University Hospital using a self-administered questionnaire. Two focus group discussions with physicians and nurses were also conducted.

44.3% and 46.5% of physicians and nurses mentioned time constraints as a barrier for DV screening. Physicians believed that it is not important to screen for DV because it is a socially accepted problem and because of the unavailability of the necessary referrals to help victims (30.2% and 20.0%, respectively). The unsuitability of the outpatient clinics to screen for DV was also mentioned by 65.6% and 75.5% of physicians and nurses respectively. Only 36.7% of physicians perceived having the communication skills to facilitate disclosure of DV exposure. Regarding practice, only 35.0% of physicians have screened for DV in the three months preceding data collection. Urban residence, perception of the negative health consequence of DV exposure and perception of the physicians to have the required communication skills predicted positive attitude towards DV screening, while feeling distressed to discuss exposure to DV was associated with negative physicians' attitude.

In-service training of health care providers to identify and manage victims of DV and establishing supportive system would have great implications for reducing the physical and mental negative consequences of DV exposure.