COMPARISON OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SCREENING METHODS - A PILOT-STUDY

Study objective: Previous studies have indicated a number of barriers to screening for domestic violence (DV) in an emergency department set ting. These barriers result in inconsistencies which determine who is screened as well as the content and quality of the information obtaine d, and if uncontrolled they are likely to affect measurements of DV in cidence in ED populations. The objectives of this project were to desi gn a screening tool that circumvented these barriers and sources of er ror; to assess whether such an alternative method of screening for DV was acceptable to our patients; and to determine whether the alternati ve and traditional methods of screening for DV would yield comparable results. Our hypotheses were that the alternative screening tool would be acceptable to our patients and that no significant differences wou ld be found between the two methods. Methods: The study took place in a rural, universily-affiliated ED with approximately 36,000 annual pat ient visits. The study population consisted of 186 women older than 18 years of age who were treated by one designated physician. Approximat ely half of these subjects were screened for DV in a face-to-face inte rview. The other half listened to a tape-recorded questionnaire and re corded their responses on a coded answer sheet. Results: There were 17 5 completed screenings. The average age of all respondents was 34 year s, and 90 (51%) indicated a cumulative lifetime experience of DV of so me sort. Overall, 3% of the respondents indicated they were in the ED for injuries received as a result of DV. No significant differences we re found between the two methods of screening for DV on any measuremen t, including refusals. No problems hearing the tape or understanding t he instructions were reported. Conclusion: These results indicate that the alternative method of employing a recorded questionnaire was no l ess effective than the best efforts of a designated and conscientious physician. As a means of quickly assessing the prevalence of DV in an ED setting, we find much to recommend such an approach.