Screening risks for intimate partner violence and primary care settings: Implications for future abuse

Most health care intervention models for intimate partner violence (IPV) are crisis driven and targeted to survivors of injury following episodes of physical violence. Knowledge about anticipatory and preventive approaches with women who are at risk for abuse is scarce, limiting professionals' ability to respond fully and effectively to this problem. This paper describes a retrospective, practice-based research study of social work interventions in two hospital-based primary care practices. A total of 431 female patients completed a self-administered questionnaire developed for the early detection of IPV risk factors during routine health care visits. The study showed surprisingly high rates of multiple risk markers in an urban primary care population whose medical presentations ordinarily would not raise provider suspicion about abuse. Findings confirmed the willingness of primary care populations to freely partake in routine screening and support the value of early identification and intervention with populations at risk. Practice implications are discussed.