INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE SCREENING PRACTICES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence Screening Practices at an Urban Midwestern Hospital’s Emergency Department Presenting Author: Viktoriya Tulchinskaya, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Mentor: Catherine L. Satterwhite, PhD, MSPH, MPH Contributors: Andrew Park, MD, Megha Ramaswamy, PhD, MPH BACKGROUND: The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends intimate partner violence (IPV) screening for all women of reproductive age. The emergency department (ED) represents an important venue for screening an at-risk population who may not regularly access health care services. OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and correlates of IPV screening in an urban Midwestern emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted among a convenience sample of all women and men aged 18-44 who visited the ED of a large, Midwestern metropolitan hospital between January 4th and 10th, 2015. Patient demographics, IPV screening status, and ED visit characteristic were collected. IPV screening status was compared by age, gender, race, ethnicity, primary language, need for interpreter, use of interpreter, insurance type, reason for visit, time/day of visit, number of previous ED visits, pregnancy status, and contraception method. RESULTS: Mean age of the study population was 42 years, and the most common reason for visit was “abdominal pain.” Based on pilot data from 30 subjects (target: 360 eligible subjects), 87% of females and 90% of males received recommended IPV screening. Data suggested that ethnic minority status corresponded to a lower prevalence of screening: 57% of patients who identified as Hispanic or Latino received IPV screening, compared to 87% of Non-Hispanic patients (p = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS: Patients of female gender and minority status may be less likely to receive IPV screening. Further analysis is required to examine ED follow-up among patients who screened positively for IPV.