About 25% of college women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) or sexual violence (SV). Routine screening can identify those experiencing violence, refer them for care and mitigate long-term sequelae. We interviewed 35 healthcare providers to explore barriers and facilitators to IPV/SV screening in U.S. college health centers. Individual-level barriers were personal discomfort asking about IPV/SV and perceived student resistance to being asked. Organizational barriers included lack of established policies/procedures, inadequate time/staffing and referral resources and perceived lack of standardized IPV/SV screening guidelines. Facilitators were having IPV/SV screening questions within the electronic health record and universal approaches to IPV/SV screening.
American Academy of Family Physicians. (2019). Screening for intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults: Recommendation statement. 99(10).
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2012). Intimate partner violence: Committee opinion no. 518. 119, 412–417.
4.
AndersonJ. C.BoakyeM. D. S.FeinsteinZ.Miller-WalfishS.JonesK. A.ChuganiC. D.SchmulevichA.JacksonR.MillerE. (2024). College students’ experiences of sexual violence and reasons for seeking care in campus health and counseling centers. Journal of American College Health, 72(3), 753–760. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2057189
5.
BachM. H.Beck HansenN.AhrensC.NielsenC. R.WalsheC.HansenM. (2021). Underserved survivors of sexual assault: A systematic scoping review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), Article 1895516. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1895516
6.
Bagwell-GrayM. E.MessingJ. T.Baldwin-WhiteA. (2015). Intimate partner sexual violence: A review of terms, definitions, and prevalence. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 16(3), 316–335. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838014557290
7.
BlackM. C.BasileK. C.BreidingM. J.SmithS. G.WaltersM. L.MerrickM. T.ChenJ.StevensM. R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf
CFIR Research Team. (n.d.). CFIR: Consolidated framework for implementation research. Retrieved May 14, 2024, from https://cfirguide.org/
10.
Clemente-TeixeiraM.MagalhãesT.BarrocasJ.Dinis-OliveiraR. J.Taveira-GomesT. (2022). Health outcomes in women victims of intimate partner violence: A 20-year real-world study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), Article 17035. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417035
11.
DamschroderL. J.AronD. C.KeithR. E.KirshS. R.AlexanderJ. A.LoweryJ. C. (2009). Fostering implementation of health services research findings into practice: A consolidated framework for advancing implementation science. Implementation Science, 4(1), Article 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-50
12.
DamschroderL. J.ReardonC. M.WiderquistM. A. O.LoweryJ. (2022). The updated consolidated framework for implementation research based on user feedback. Implementation Science, 17(1), Article 75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-022-01245-0
13.
FeltnerC.WallaceI.BerkmanN.KistlerC. E.MiddletonJ. C.BarclayC.HigginbothamL.GreenJ. T.JonasD. E. (2018). Screening for intimate partner violence, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults: Evidence report and systematic review for the US preventive services task force. JAMA, 320(16), Article 1688. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.13212
14.
HambergerL. K.RhodesK.BrownJ. (2015). Screening and intervention for intimate partner violence in healthcare settings: Creating sustainable system-level programs. Journal of Women’s Health, 24(1), 86–91. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2014.4861
15.
KirkL.BezzantK. (2020). What barriers prevent health professionals screening women for domestic abuse? A literature review. British Journal of Nursing, 29(13), 754–760. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2020.29.13.754
16.
KirkM. A.KelleyC.YankeyN.BirkenS. A.AbadieB.DamschroderL. (2015). A systematic review of the use of the consolidated framework for implementation research. Implementation Science, 11(1), Article 72. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-016-0437-z
17.
LiL.ShenX.ZengG.HuangH.ChenZ.YangJ.WangX.JiangM.YangS.ZhangQ.LiH. (2023). Sexual violence against women remains problematic and highly prevalent around the world. BMC Women’s Health, 23(1), Article 196. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02338-8
18.
McColganM. D.CruzM.McKeeJ.DempseyS. H.DavisM. B.BarryP.YoderA. L.GiardinoA. P. (2010). Results of a multifaceted intimate partner violence training program for pediatric residents. Child Abuse & Neglect, 34(4), 275–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.07.008
19.
MillerC. J.AdjognonO. L.BradyJ. E.DichterM. E.IversonK. M. (2021a). Screening for intimate partner violence in healthcare settings: An implementation-oriented systematic review. Implementation Research and Practice, 2, Article 263348952110398. https://doi.org/10.1177/26334895211039894
20.
MillerC. J.AdjognonO. L.BradyJ. E.DichterM. E.IversonK. M. (2021b). Screening for intimate partner violence in healthcare settings: An implementation-oriented systematic review. Implementation Research and Practice, 2, Article 26334895211039894. https://doi.org/10.1177/26334895211039894
21.
MillerE.McCawB.HumphreysB. L.MitchellC. (2015). Integrating intimate partner violence assessment and intervention into healthcare in the United States: A systems approach. Journal of Women’s Health, 24(1), 92–99. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2014.4870
O’DohertyL. J.TaftA.HegartyK.RamsayJ.DavidsonL. L.FederG. (2014). Screening women for intimate partner violence in healthcare settings: Abridged Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 348(may12 1), g2913–g2913. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g2913
24.
PharesT. M.SherinK.HarrisonS. L.MitchellC.FreemanR.LichtenbergK. (2019). Intimate partner violence screening and intervention: The American College of Preventive Medicine position statement. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 57(6), 862–872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.07.003
25.
QSR International Pty Ltd. (2020). NVivo qualitative data analysis software—Version 13. [Computer software].
26.
RoarkS. V. (2010). Intimate partner violence: Screening and intervention in the health care setting. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(11), 490–495. https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-20100601-02
27.
SutherlandM. A.FantasiaH. C.HutchinsonM. K. (2016). Screening for intimate partner and sexual violence in college women: Missed opportunities. Women’s Health Issues, 26(2), 217–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2015.07.008
28.
SutherlandM. A.HutchinsonM. K. (2018). Intimate partner and sexual violence screening practices of college health care providers. Applied Nursing Research: ANR, 39, 217–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2017.11.031
29.
SutherlandM. A.HutchinsonM. K. (2019). Organizational influences on the intimate partner violence and sexual violence screening practices of college health care providers. Research in Nursing & Health, 42(4), 284–295. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21950
30.
SutherlandM. A.HutchinsonM. K.SiB.DingY.LiebermannE.ConnollyS. L.Saint-Eloi CadelyH.HayesJ. F.MuellerS. D. (2024). Health screenings in college health centers: Variations in practice. Journal of American College Health, 73(8), 3031–3038. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2024.2361307
31.
TongA.SainsburyP.CraigJ. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): A 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care: Journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care, 19(6), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzm042
VanDevanterN.VuM.NguyenA.NguyenT.Van MinhH.NguyenN. T.ShelleyD. R. (2020). A qualitative assessment of factors influencing implementation and sustainability of evidence-based tobacco use treatment in Vietnam health centers. Implementation Science, 15(1), Article 73. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-020-01035-6
34.
WaalenJ.GoodwinM. M.SpitzA. M.PetersenR.SaltzmanL. E. (2000). Screening for intimate partner violence by health care providers. Barriers and interventions. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 19(4), 230–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(00)00229-4
35.
WathenC. N.MantlerT. (2022). Trauma- and violence-informed care: Orienting intimate partner violence interventions to equity. Current Epidemiology Reports, 9(4), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-022-00307-7
36.
World Health Organization. (2013). Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women [WHO clinical and policy guidelines]. https://iris.who.int/9789241548595_eng
