Physician Responses to Patients Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Area of Science:

• Medical Practice
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Existing guidelines address physician identification and response to intimate partner violence (IPV).
• Physician practices regarding mandated reporting, confidentiality, and homicide risk assessment for IPV are understudied.
• This pilot study explores physician responses to patient disclosure of experiencing IPV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate current physician practices concerning intimate partner violence (IPV) disclosure.
• To identify knowledge gaps and barriers in physician response to IPV.
• To inform the development of targeted training and protocols for healthcare providers.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, semi-structured online interviews were conducted with physicians.
• Participants were recruited through national medical societies and state chapters.
• Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes in physician responses.

Main Results:

• Physicians demonstrated limited knowledge of mandatory reporting and risk assessment for IPV.
• Time barriers and lack of protocol awareness led to reliance on social work and nursing staff.
• Few physicians recalled reporting requirements or discussed confidentiality limitations with patients.

Conclusions:

• Physicians in the sample exhibited deficits in knowledge and application of IPV reporting and safety assessment.
• Further research is needed to confirm these findings in larger populations.
• Enhanced training on reporting requirements and development of clear IPV response protocols are recommended.