A Scoping Review of Intimate Partner Violence Referrals Within Healthcare Settings.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Management
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health issue requiring healthcare provider intervention.
• Identifying and referring IPV victims is a critical step in healthcare settings.
• Existing literature shows a need to understand the referral process post-IPV screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of intimate partner violence referrals in healthcare settings.
• To examine the consistency, effectiveness, and barriers of IPV referral processes after initial screening.
• To identify gaps and suggest future research directions for IPV referral protocols.

Main Methods:

• Searched three databases (Criminal Justice Abstracts, PubMed, PsycINFO) for literature from 2012-2022.
• Used keywords: "intimate partner violence," "screen*," and "refer*."
• Screened 265 sources based on adult IPV victims, healthcare setting screening/referral, and post-screening referral exploration; 36 studies included.

Main Results:

• Significant inconsistencies and gaps exist in the IPV referral process within healthcare.
• Lack of standardization in referral type and frequency following positive IPV screening.
• Multiple methods measured referral effectiveness, and various barriers were identified.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare settings lack consistent protocols for IPV referrals after screening.
• Future research should focus on the referral process independently from screening.
• Collaboration between researchers and practitioners is needed to explore consistent referrals and patient follow-up effectiveness.