Healthcare providers' perceived barriers and facilitators to screening for intimate partner violence in pregnant women attending prenatal clinics

CONCLUSION: Although higher-than-expected number of healthcare providers reported screening of pregnant women for intimate partner violence, the extent of screening is still suboptimal. The barrier to screening identified needs to be addressed and facilitators promoted. Receiving training among healthcare providers on intimate partner violence screening was associated with higher levels of screening; thus, this needs to be enhanced to optimize screening rates. Future studies should assess screening practices objectively and implement interventions to improve healthcare providers' intimate partner violence screening rates.IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Screening for intimate partner violence should be part of standard care provided by healthcare providers to all pregnant women during prenatal clinic visits. The study supports the need for more training for healthcare providers in aspects related to intimate partner violence screening in order to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment of those affected, identify those at risk and increase awareness. There is a need to enhance healthcare providers' capacity for intimate partner violence screening through education by integrating intimate partner violence screening pre- and post-registration courses and preparation programs or curriculum.IMPACT: Intimate partner violence (IPV) in pregnancy is a global health problem. Screening for IPV by healthcare providers is suboptimal. This study found that only 56% of he...
Source: Adv Data - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Source Type: research