Recorded presentation

Vicki Flerx, PhD, Institute for Families in Society, University of South Carolina, Carolina Plaza, Columbia, SC 29208, 803-777-2982, vflerx@sc.edu, Ann Coker, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Texas, PO Box 20186, Houston, TX 77225, and Paige Hall-Smith, PhD, Public Health Education, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, PO Box 26169, Greensboro, NC 27402-6169.

This paper describes challenges we have encountered in implementing a comprehensive health care response to IPV in six primary care clinics in rural South Carolina. Participating clinics implemented annual IPV screening for all female patients over the age of 18 beginning in April, 2002. All six clinics refer IPV positive women to their local domestic violence service agency, and three clinics also offer these women onsite intervention services. Although the project has successfully screened large numbers of women, we have encountered several challenges to the annual screening and to the clinics’ acceptance of this process as part of their routine procedure. Barriers such as time constraints, pressure from primary providers to “move” patients quickly, staff turnover, inadequate prompts for nurses to screen, and lack of accountability for consistent screening will all be discussed within the specific context of the participating clinics. Suggested solutions for reducing these barriers will also be presented. In addition to challenges to implementation of screening for IPV at the clinics, we have encountered patient and clinic-focused barriers to service utilization, even when a specialized intervention is offered immediately in the clinic itself. These barriers and possible solutions will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn 3 potential solutions for reducing barriers to routine IPV screening in primary health care clincis.
• Understand challenges to utilization of IPV services in health care clinics and learn 2 possible methods for increasing utilization.

Keywords: Domestic Violence, Health Care Delivery

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation