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Identifying domestic violence in primary care practice
K M Freund1, S M Bak, L Blackhall
1Evans Department of Clinical Research, Boston University Medical Center, MA 02118, USA.
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Adding a single domestic violence screening question to health forms significantly improved detection in primary care settings. This simple addition increased identification rates from 0% to 11.6% among new women patients.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Women's Health
- Primary Care Medicine
Background:
- Domestic violence is a significant public health issue affecting women.
- Primary care settings offer opportunities for early detection of domestic violence.
- Current methods of identifying domestic violence in primary care may be insufficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a single-question screening for domestic violence.
- To compare the addition of a domestic violence question to a health history form versus discretionary inquiry alone.
Main Methods:
- A study was conducted with 689 new women patients in an internal medicine practice.
- One group received standard care with discretionary inquiry.
- The intervention group's health history form included a specific question about physical harm from a partner.
Main Results:
- Domestic violence identification was 0% in the control group.
- The intervention group identified domestic violence in 11.6% of patients (95% CI 8.8-14.4%).
- The addition of a single question substantially increased detection rates.
Conclusions:
- A single, direct question about domestic violence is effective in improving its identification in primary care.
- Integrating this question into existing health history forms is a practical strategy.
- This approach can enhance the identification of domestic violence as a problem for women seeking healthcare.