Adoption, penetration, and effectiveness of a secondary risk screener for intimate partner violence: Evidence to inform screening practices in integrated care settings.

Iverson KM, Sorrentino AE, Bellamy SL, Grillo AR, Haywood TN, Medvedeva E, Roberts CB, Dichter ME. Adoption, penetration, and effectiveness of a secondary risk screener for intimate partner violence: Evidence to inform screening practices in integrated care settings. General hospital psychiatry. 2018 Mar 1; 51:79-84.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• IIR 15-142 – Intimate Partner Violence: Patient Characteristics, Service Use and Experiences

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Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has implemented screening for past-year intimate partner violence (IPV) in some healthcare facilities along with secondary screening of risk for severe violence among those screening positive in order to facilitate follow-up care for high-risk patients. We evaluated the adoption, penetration, and effectiveness of secondary screening as a tool to facilitate timely follow-up services. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records (screening and healthcare use) of 774 women screening positive for past-year IPV (IPV+) at 11 facilities nationwide from April 2014-April 2016. Chi-square and t-tests examined factors related to secondary screening. RESULTS: Three of eleven (27.3%) facilities that implemented primary IPV screening adopted secondary screening. At adopting sites, 56.4% eligible (i.e., IPV+) women received secondary screening. Among 185 IPV+ women who completed secondary screening, 33.0% screened positive for severe IPV. Screening positive during secondary screening was associated with higher rate of psychosocial care within 60?days (73.8% vs. 54.0% of IPV+ patients screening negative; p? < .05), posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis (31.1% vs. 15.3%; p? < .05), and being physically threatened or harmed ( > 50% vs. < 15%; p? < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Secondary risk assessment following IPV screening may expedite access to psychosocial follow-up care in integrated healthcare settings. However, program uptake needs to be enhanced.