A Multifaceted Intimate Partner Violence Communication Skills Curriculum Increases Screening Among Internal Medicine...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Social Medicine

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent issue, yet routine physician screening remains infrequent.
• Current educational strategies for physician trainees lack clear guidance on improving IPV screening rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a novel curriculum designed to enhance intimate partner violence (IPV) screening by internal medicine residents.
• To assess the impact of the curriculum on residents' knowledge, comfort levels, attitudes, and screening documentation practices.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a multifaceted curriculum for internal medicine residents, incorporating didactics and communication skills training.
• Utilized pre- and postcurriculum chart reviews to measure screening documentation rates.
• Administered surveys (Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate partner violence Survey - PREMIS) and conducted semistructured interviews to assess knowledge, comfort, and attitudes.

Main Results:

• Residents demonstrated a statistically significant increase in IPV screening documentation postcurriculum (p < 0.05).
• Significant improvements were observed in residents' objective knowledge (80% of questions), perceived knowledge, and comfort levels (p < 0.01).
• Attitudinal domains, including self-reported screening frequency, also showed significant improvement (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive IPV curriculum effectively enhances residents' screening documentation, knowledge, comfort, and attitudes towards IPV.
• Residents reported increased confidence and improved patient relationships but identified persistent barriers such as time constraints and practice change resistance.