A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Interventions Designed to Teach U.S. Medical Students to Address...

Interpersonal violence (IV) is a leading cause of morbidity, disability, adverse mental health conditions, and mortality. Without additional training, physicians are likely to limit their attention to the presenting trauma without recognizing or addressing potential long-term effects.

A systematic review of the literature was conducted using PRISMA guidelines to identify original studies that focused on how medical students are taught to address IV across the life course.

Twenty-nine (29) articles were identified that sought to teach medical students how to respond to IV at different stages of the patient's life course.

Research findings suggest that teaching medical students about IV can have a positive impact on their knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Despite the near universal support by medical and professional associations to address it, the evidence base for how to address IV effectively in the medical curriculum is still lacking.