A Scoping Review of Published Intimate Partner Violence Curricula for Medical Trainees.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue.
• Healthcare settings can offer a crucial safe space for individuals experiencing IPV.
• Physicians report time and education deficits as barriers to addressing IPV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and quantitatively assess published intimate partner violence (IPV) curricula.
• To summarize the content, structure, and effectiveness of existing IPV educational programs.
• To identify barriers to implementing IPV curricula in medical training.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review of published IPV curricula was conducted.
• Searches were performed in Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, and Scopus databases.
• Articles were evaluated for curriculum details, delivery methods, content, effectiveness, and barriers.

Main Results:

• Fifty-six articles met the inclusion criteria, with most curricula for medical students and short-term duration.
• Family medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine residencies most frequently incorporated IPV training.
• Formal lectures and standardized patients were common delivery methods; risk factors and identification were primary content.
• Limited time and challenges in measuring effectiveness were the most cited barriers.

Conclusions:

• Published intimate partner violence (IPV) curricula lack standardization and validated assessment tools.
• A need exists for standardized IPV competencies and curricula in medical education.
• Standardized training can enhance physicians' ability to identify and manage IPV cases.