Routine screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) has been introduced in many health settings to improve identification and responsiveness to IPV. The debate about the level of evidence required to warrant routine screening continues. Three assumptions have impeded progress in measuring the impact of screening. The first is that routine screening is a test only which does not of itself have an impact on patients. The second is that it can be assessed by evaluating interventions provided to women after abuse is identified through screening. The third is that there can be an agreed appropriate intervention for IPV. Each of these assumptions is problematic. In addition, there are significant impediments to evaluating screening as an intervention through a randomized control trial. These include identification of the study group, isolating the control group from the intervention, ethics, lack of baseline data, and recall bias. A range of study designs is required and a rethink of assumptions is needed in researching this area.
Black, M.C., Kresnow, M., Simon, T.R., Arias, I., & Shelley, G. (2006). Telephone survey respondents' reactions to questions regarding interpersonal violence. Violence and Victims, 21, 445-459.
2.
Bonomi, A., Thompson, R., Anderson, M., Reid, R., Carrell, D., Dimer, J., et al. (2006). Intimate partner violence and women's physical, mental, and social functioning. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30, 458-466.
3.
Boyle, A., & Jones, P. (2006). The acceptability of routine inquiry about domestic violence towards women: A survey in three healthcare settings. British Journal of General Practice, 56, 258-261.
4.
Boyle, A., Jones, P., & Lloyd, S. (2006). The association between domestic violence and self harm in emergency medicine patients. Emergency Medicine Journal, 23, 604-607.
5.
Boyle, A., Robinson, S., & Atkinson, P. (2004). Domestic violence in emergency medicine patients . Emergency Medicine Journal, 21, 9-13.
6.
Buck, L., & Collins, S. (2007). Why don't midwives ask about domestic abuse? British Journal of Midwifery, 15, 753-758.
7.
Campbell, J. (2002). Health consequences of intimate partner violence . Lancet, 359, 1331-1336.
8.
Campbell, J., Coben, J., McLoughlin, E., Dearwater, S., Nah, G., & Glass, N. (2001). An evaluation of a system-change training model to improve emergency department response to battered women. Academic Emergency Medicine, 8, 131-138.
9.
Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. (2000 ). Family violence in Canada: A statistical profile 2000 (Cat No 85-224-XIE). Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Author.
10.
Chamberlain, L. (2000). Your words make a difference: Broader implications for screening. Family Violence Prevention Fund Health Alert , 7(1), 1-4.
11.
Chamberlain, L., & Perham-Hester, K.A. (2000). Physicians' screening practices for female partner abuse during prenatal visits. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 4, 141-148.
12.
Chang, J.C., Decker, M.R., Moracco, K.E., Martin, S.L., Petersen, R., & Frasier, P.Y. (2005). Asking about intimate partner violence: Advice from female survivors to health care providers. Patient Education and Counseling, 59(2), 141-147.
13.
Chen, P.H., Rovi, S., Washington, J., Jacobs, A., Vega, M., Pan, K.Y., et al. (2007). Randomized comparison of 3 methods to screen for domestic violence in family practice. Annals of Family Medicine, 5, 430-435.
14.
Coker, A. (2006). Preventing intimate partner violence: How we will rise to this challenge. American Journal of Preventive Medicine , 30, 528-529.
15.
Curry, M., Durham, L., Bullock, L., Bloom, T., & Davis, J. (2006). Nurse case management for pregnant women experiencing or at risk for abuse. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 35, 181-192.
16.
Department of Health. (2000). Domestic violence: A resource manual for health professionals. London: Author.
17.
Dowd, M., Kennedy, C., Knapp, J., & Stallbaumeeer-Rouyer, J. (2002). Mothers and health care providers perspectives on screening for intimate partner violence in a pediatric emergency setting. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine , 156, 795-799.
18.
Eisenstat, S., & Bancroft, L. (1999). Domestic violence. New England Journal of Medicine, 341, 886-892.
19.
Ernst, A., Weiss, S., Goldstein, G., Hall, J., & Clark, R. (2007). Computer versus paper format for intimate partner violence (IPV) screening. Academic Emergency Medicine, 14(Suppl. 5), 1-44.
20.
Flitcraft, A., Hadley, S., Hendricks-Matthews, M.K., McLeer, S.V., & Warshaw, C. (1992). American medical association diagnostic and treatment guidelines on domestic violence. Archives of Family Medicine , 1, 39-47.
21.
Fox, A., Jackson, S., Hansen, N., Gasa, N., Crewe, M., & Sikkema, K. (2007). In their own voices: A qualitative study of women's risk for intimate partner violence and HIV in South Africa. Violence Against Women, 13, 583-602.
22.
Furbee, P.M., Sikora, R., Williams, J.M., & Derk, S.J. (1998). Comparison of domestic violence screening methods: A pilot study. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 31, 495-501.
23.
Gerber, M., Leiter, K., Herrmann, R., & Bor, D. (2005). How and why community hospital clinicians document a positive screen for intimate partner violence: A cross-sectional study. BMC Family Practice, 6, 1-9.
24.
Gerbert, B., Abercrombie, P., Caspers, N., Love, C., & Bronstone, A. (1999). How health care providers help battered women: The survivors perspective. Women and Health, 29(3), 115-135.
25.
Gerbert, B., Johnston, K., Caspers, N., Bleecker, T., Woods, A., & Rosenbaum, A. (1996). Experiences of battered women in health care settings: A qualitative study. Women and Health, 24(3), 1-17.
26.
Gerlach, L., Datner, E., Hollander, J., Zogby, K., Robey, J., & Wiebe, D. (2007). Does sex matter? Effect of screener sex in intimate partner violence screening. American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 25, 1047-1050.
27.
Gielen, A.C., O'Campo, P.J., Campbell, J.C., Schollenberger, J., Woods, A.B., Jones, A.S., et al. (2000). Women's opinions about domestic violence screening and mandatory reporting. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 19, 279-285.
28.
Glass, N., Dearwater, S., & Campbell, J. (2001). Intimate partner violence screening and intervention: Data from eleven Pennsylvania and California Hospital Emergency Departments . Journal of Emergency Nursing, 27, 141-149.
29.
Guterman, N. (2004). Advancing prevention research on child abuse, youth violence, and domestic violence: Emerging strategies and issues. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19, 299-321.
30.
Gutmanis, I., Beynon, C., Tutty, L., Wathen, C., & MacMillan, H. (2007). Factors influencing identification of and response to intimate partner violence: A survey of physicians and nurses. BMC Public Health, 7(12), 1-11.
31.
Hammoury, N., & Khawaja, M. (2007). Screening for domestic violence during pregnancy in an antenatal clinic in Lebanon. European Journal of Public Health, 17, 605-606.
32.
Hathaway, J., Willis, G., & Zimmer, B. (2002). Listening to survivors voices: Addressing violence against women in the health care setting. Violence Against Women, 8, 687-719.
33.
Hayden, S., Barton, E., & Hayden, M. (1997). Domestic violence in the emergency department: How do women prefer to disclose and discuss the issues? Journal of Emergency Medicine, 15, 447-451.
34.
Hegarty, K., Feder, G., & Ramsay, J. (2006). Identification of intimate partner abuse in health care settings: Should health professionals be screening? In G. Roberts, K. Hegarty, & G. Feder (Eds.), Intimate partner abuse and health professionals: New approaches to domestic violence . London: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone .
35.
Hlavka, H.R., Kruttschnitt, C., & Carbone-Lopez, K.C. (2007). Revictimizing the victims? Interviewing women about interpersonal violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22, 894-920.
36.
Hollander, J., Schears, R., Shofer, F.S., Baren, J.M., Moretti, L.M., & Datner, E.M. (2001). The effect of written informed consent on detection of violence in the home. Academic Emergency Medicine, 8, 974-979.
37.
Hughes, J. (2006). Violence and health: The challenges of how we talk about, conceptualize and address violence. Canadian Journal Nursing Research, 38(4), 27-30.
38.
Irwin, J., & Waugh, F. (2001). Unless they're asked: Routine screening for domestic violence in NSW Health-an evaluation report of the pilot project NSW Health . Sydney, Australia: NSW Health .
39.
Jaffee, K., Epling, J., Grant, W., Ghandour, R., & Callendar, E. (2005). Physician-identified barriers to intimate partner violence screening. Journal of Women's Health, 14, 713-720.
40.
Janssen, P., Dascal-Weichhendler, H., & McGregor, M. (2006). Assessment for intimate partner violence: Where do we stand? Journal of American Board of Family Medicine , 19, 413-415.
41.
Janssen, P., Holt, V., & Sugg, N. (2002). Introducing domestic violence assessment in a postpartum clinical setting. Maternal and Child Health Journal , 6, 195-203.
42.
Kendall-Tackett, K.A. (2007). Violence against women and the perinatal period: The impact of lifetime violence and abuse on pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding . Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 8, 344-353.
43.
Klap, R., Tang, L., Wells, K., Starks, S., & Rodriguez, M. (2007). Screening for domestic violence among adult women in the United States. Journal of General Internal Medicine , 22, 579-584.
44.
Kothari, C., & Rhodes, K. (2006). Missed opportunities: Emergency department visits by police-identified victims of intimate partner violence. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 47, 190-199.
45.
Koziol-McLain, J., Rameka, M., Giddings, L., Fyfe, E., & Gardiner, J. (2007). Partner violence prevalence among women attending a Maori health provider clinic. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 31(2), 143-148.
46.
Lachs, M. (2004). Screening for family violence: What's an evidence based doctor to do? Annals of Internal Medicine, 140, 399-400.
47.
Loxton, D., Schofield, M., & Hussain, R. (2004). History of domestic violence and health service use among mid-agedAustralian women. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 28, 383-388.
48.
Loxton, D., Schofield, M., & Hussain, R. (2006). Psychological health in midlife among women who have ever lived with a violent partner or spouse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 1092-1107.
49.
Lutenbacher, M., Cohen, A., & Mitzel, J. (2003). Do we really help? Perspectives of abused women . Public Health Nursing, 20, 56-64.
50.
MacMillan, H.L., Wathen, C.N., Jamieson, E., Boyle, M., McNutt, L-A., Worster, A., et al. (2006). Approaches to screening for intimate partner violence in health care settings: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 296, 530-536.
51.
Maher, L. (2002). Don't leave us this way: Ethnography and injecting drug use in the age of AIDS. International Journal of Drug Policy, 13, 311-325.
52.
McCloskey, L., Lichter, E., Ganz, M., Williams, C., Gerber, M., Sege, R., et al. (2005). Intimate partner violence and patient screening across medical specialties. Academic Emergency Medicine, 12, 712-722.
53.
McCloskey, L., Lighter, E., Williams, C., Gerber, M., Wittenberg, E., & Ganz, M. (2006). Assessing intimate partner violence in health care settings leads to women's receipt of interventions and improved health . Public Health Reports, 121, 435-443.
54.
McDonnell, E., Holohan, M., Reilly, M.O., Warde, L., Collins, C., & Geary, M. (2006). Acceptability of routine inquiry regarding domestic violence in the antenatal clinic. Irish Medical Journal, 99(4), 123-124.
McFarlane, J., Parker, B., Soeken, K., & Bullock, L. (1992). Assessing for abuse during pregnancy. Journal of American Medical Association, 267, 3176-3178.
57.
McFarlane, J., Soeken, K., & Wiist, W. (2000). An evaluation of intervention to decrease intimate partner violence to pregnant women. Public Health Nursing , 17, 443-451.
58.
Mezey, G., Bacchus, L., Haworth, A., & Bewley, S. (2003). Midwives perceptions and experiences of routine enquiry for domestic violence. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 110, 744-752.
59.
Minsky-Kelly, D., Hamberger, L., Pape, D., & Wolff, M. (2005). We've had training, now what? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 1288-1309.
60.
Mirlees-Black, C. (1999). Domestic violence: Findings from the British Crime Survey self-completion questionnaire (Home Office Research Study191). London: HMSO.
61.
Moe, A.M. (2007). Silenced voices and structured survival: Battered women's help seeking. Violence Against Women, 13, 676-699.
62.
Mouzos, J., & Makkai, T. (2004). Women's experiences of male violence: Findings from the Australian component of the International Violence Against Women Survey (IVAWS). Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
63.
Murray, C., & Graybeal, J. (2007). Methodological review of intimate partner violence prevention research. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22, 1250-1269.
64.
Nelson, H., Nygren, P., McInerny, Y., & Klein, J. (2004). Screening women and elderly adults for family and intimate partner violence: A review of the evidence for the US Preventive Services Taskforce. Annals of Internal Medicine, 140, 387-396.
65.
NSW Department of Health. (Ed.). (2007). Routine screening for domestic violence program-Snapshot Report 3, November 2005 & Snapshot Report 4, November 2006. Sydney, Australia: Author.
66.
Parker, G., & Lee, C. (2002). Violence and abuse: An assessment of Mid-aged Australian women's experiences. Australian Psychologist, 37(2), 142-148.
67.
Pawson, R. (2006). Evidence-based policy: A realist perspective. London: Sage.
68.
Pencheon, D., Guest, C., Melzer, D., & Gray, M. (2001). Oxford handbook of public health practice. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
69.
Phelan, M.B. (2007). Screening for intimate partner violence in medical settings. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 8, 199-213.
70.
Ping-Hsin, C., Rovi, S., Vega, M., Jacobs, A., & Johnson, M. (2005). Screening for domestic violence in a predominantly Hispanic setting. Family Practice, 22, 617-623.
71.
Plichta, S. (2007). Interactions between victims of intimate partner violence against women and the health care system: Policy and practice implications . Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 8, 226-239.
72.
Punukollu, M. (2003). Domestic violence: Screening made practical. Journal of Family Practice, 52, 537-543.
73.
Ramsay, J., Richardson, J., Carter, Y., Davidson, L., & Feder, G. (2002). Should health professionals screen women for domestic violence? Systematic review. British Medical Journal, 325, 314-336.
74.
Renker, P., & Tonkin, P. (2006). Women's views of prenatal violence screening: Acceptability and confidentiality issues. Obstetrics and Gynecology , 107, 348-354.
75.
Rhodes, K., Drum, M., Anliker, E., Frankel, R., Howes, D., & Levinson, W. (2006). Lowering the threshold for discussions of domestic violence: A randomized controlled trial of computer screening. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166, 1107-1114.
76.
Rhodes, K., & Levinson, W. (2003). Interventions for intimate partner violence against women: Clinical applications. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 601-605.
77.
Richter, K., Surprenant, Z., Schmelzle, K., & Mayo, M. (2003). Detecting and documenting intimate partner violence . Violence Against Women, 9, 458-464.
78.
Rivara, F., Anderson, M., & Fishman, P. (2007). Healthcare utilization and costs for women with a history of intimate partner violence. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 32, 89-96.
79.
Ross, J., Walther, V., & Epstein, I. (2004). Screening risks for intimate partner violence and primary care settings; implications for future abuse. Social Work in Health Care, 38(4), 1-23.
80.
Scholle, S., Buranosky, R., Hanusa, B., Ranieri, L., Dowd, K., & Valappil, B. (2003). Routine screening for intimate partner violence in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic. American Journal of Public Health, 93, 1070-1072.
81.
Sethi, D., Watts, S., Watson, J., McCarthy, C., & Zwi, A. (2001). Experience of "screening" for domestic violence in women's services. Journal of Public Health Medicine, 23, 349-350.
82.
Sethi, D., Watts, S., Zwi, A., Watson, J., & McCarthy, C. (2004). Experience of domestic violence by women attending an inner city accident and emergency department. Emergency Medicine Journal, 21, 180-184.
83.
Sharps, P., Laughon, K., & Giangrande, S. (2007). Intimate partner violence and the childbearing year: Maternal and infant health consequences. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 8, 105-116.
84.
Simon, T., Mercy, J., & Barker, L. (2006). Can we talk? Importance of random-digit-dial surveys for injury prevention research. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 31, 406-410.
85.
Simon, T., & Perkins, M. (2001). Injuries from violent crime 1992-1998. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
86.
Sleutel, M. (1998). Women's experiences of abuse: A review of the qualitative literature. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 19, 525-539.
87.
Soglin, L., Bauchat, J., Soglin, D., & Martin, G.Detection of intimate partner violence in a general medicine practice . Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2008 .
88.
Stayton, C., & Duncan, M. (2005). Mutable influences on intimate partner abuse screening in health care settings: A synthesis of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 6, 271-285.
89.
Stenson, K., Saarinen, H., Heimer, G., & Sidenvall, B. (2001). Women's attitudes to being asked about exposure to violence. Midwifery, 17(1), 2-10.
90.
Streiner, D., & Norman, G. (2003). Health measurement scales: A practical guide to their development and use. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
91.
Taft, A. (2002). Violence against women in pregnancy and after childbirth: Current knowledge and issues in healthcare responses, Issues Paper 6. Sydney: Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, UNSW.
92.
Taket, A., Nurse, J., Smith, K., Watson, J., Shakespeare, J., Lavis, V., et al. (2003). Routinely asking women about domestic violence in health settings. British Medical Journal, 327, 673-676.
93.
Thompson, R., Bonomi, A., Anderson, M., Reid, R., Dimer, J., Carrell, D., et al. (2006). Intimate partner violence: Prevalence, types, and chronicity in adult women. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 30, 447-457.
94.
Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000). Extent, nature and consequences of intimate partner violence: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice & Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
95.
Trabold, N. (2007). Screening for intimate partner violence within a health care setting: A systematic review of the literature. Social Work in Health Care, 45(1), 1-18.
96.
Trautman, D., McCarthy, M., Miller, N., Campbell, J., & Kelen, G. (2007). Intimate partner violence and emergency department screening: Computerized screening versus usual care. Annuals of Emergency Medicine, 49, 526-534.
97.
UK National Screening Committee. (2003). Criteria for appraising the viability, effectiveness and appropriateness of a screening programme. Retrieved February 10, 2007, from www.nsc.nhs.uk/pdfs/criteria.pdf
98.
VicHealth. (2004). The health costs of violence: Measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence. Melbourne, Australia: Department of Human Services Victoria.
99.
Wathen, N., & MacMillan, H. (2003a). Interventions for violence against women: Scientific review. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 589-599.
100.
Wathen, N., & MacMillan, H. (2003b). Prevention of violence against women: Recommendation statement from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 169, 582-584.
101.
Webster, J., & Creedy, D. (2002). Screening can be made acceptable to women. British Medical Journal, 325, 45.
102.
World Health Organization. (2005). WHO Multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women: Summary report of initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women's responses. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
103.
Zink, T., Elder, N., Jacobson, J., & Klostermann, B. (2004). Medical management of intimate partner violence considering the stages of change: Precontemplation and contemplation . Annals of Family Medicine, 2, 231-239.
104.
Zink, T., & Fisher, B. (2007). Family violence quality assessment tool for primary care offices. Quality Management in Health Care, 16, 265-279.
105.
Zink, T., & Putnam, F. (2005). Intimate partner violence research in the health care setting: What are appropriate and feasible methodological standards? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 365-372.
