Self-report, medical staff interview, and physician interview had similar effectiveness for screening for domestic violence in women
P H Chen
Dr P H Chen, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–New Jersey Medical School. Newark, NJ, USA; chenpi@umdnj.edu
QUESTION
What is the relative effectiveness of self-report, medical staff interview, and physician interview for screening for domestic violence (DV) in women?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
{concealed}.*
Blinding:
{unblinded}.*
Follow-up period:
end of healthcare visit.
Setting:
4 family practices {in the US}.*
Patients:
523 women ⩾18 years of age (mean age 36 y, 71% black) who were currently living with a partner.
Intervention:
self-report (n = 173), medical staff {included nurses and medical assistants}* interview (n = 169), or physician interview (n = 181) for administering 2 questionnaires to screen for DV: Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST)-Short and Hurt-Insult-Threaten-Scream (HITS). WAST-Short had 2 questions (“In general, how would you describe your relationship? A …
