Intimate Partner Violence/Domestic Violence: Physician Strategies for Screening and Referral is organized by Medical Interactive Community.

Release Date: March 31, 2016
Last Review Date: February 13, 2019
Expiration Date: February 13, 2022

Target Audience:
Practicing and resident physicians of all specialties as well as physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

Credits:
CME: 2.00
MOC Points: 2.00

Description:
According to the most recent CDC findings about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced intimate partner violence, including sexual violence, physical violence, stalking or psychological aggression. The first professional contact for people who experience intimate partner violence (also referred to as domestic violence) is likely to be a physician or other health-care provider. Studies of women who are abused found that they seek medical attention more frequently than non-abused women, even if they tend to hide the fact that they are victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Often, the uncovering of victimized patients’ stories may happen in stages. Many patients hold back from speaking about IPV at first, but continued relationship-building with their physicians may empower them to speak over time. A physician who comes to know that a patient is experiencing IPV is better able to understand the patient’s symptoms, better able to diagnose the patient’s problems, and better able to help improve the patient’s health outcomes. Also, using a process of validation, safety assessment, and referral, a physician may be able to help a victim improve his/her situation.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:
Upon completion, participants should be able to:
• Apply guidelines for screening patients for intimate partner violence/domestic violence.
• Follow best practices for validation, safety assessment, and referral of the patient when she/he discloses IPV.

• CME : 2
• MOC : 2

Number of Health Care Professionals Registered: 0 Number