Healthcare providers' experiences screening for intimate partner violence among migrant and seasonal farmworking women: A phenomenological study.

Jonathan B Wilson,Jennifer L Hodgson,Alyssa P Thompson,Damon L Rappleyea,Andrew S Brimhall,Tana L Hall

doi:10.1111/hex.12421

Abstract

BackgroundMigrant and seasonal farmworking (MSFW) women patients experience substantially more intimate partner violence (IPV) than the general population, but few health‐care providers screen patients for IPV. While researchers have examined screening practices in health‐care settings, none have exclusively focused on MSFW women.ObjectiveThe aim of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of health‐care providers who have screened for and/or addressed IPV with MSFW women patients.DesignResearchers utilized descriptive phenomenology to capture the lived experiences of these health‐care providers. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's seven‐stage framework.Setting and participantsInterviews were conducted with nine female participants – all of whom: (i) were clinically active health‐care providers within the MSFW community, (ii) were bilingual in English and Spanish or had access to a translator, (iii) had treated MSFW patients who had experienced IPV and (iv) were at least 18 years of age.ResultsParticipants' experiences were reflected in four emergent themes: (i) provider‐centered factors, (ii) patient‐centered factors, (iii) clinic‐centered factors and (iv) community‐centered factors. Participants described barriers to establish routine IPV assessment, decrease patient ambivalence and increase on‐site support and community resources.Discussion and conclusionsThis study aimed to generate a greater understanding of the experiences of health‐care providers with screening for and addressing IPV with MSFW patients. Implications and recommendations for research, clinical practice and policy are provided.

Highlights

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health problem[1] with serious consequences for women’s health.[2]
The use of one primary openended question was utilized for the purposes of this study: What is the essence of health-care providers’ experiences when screening for and treating intimate partner violence (IPV) in the Migrant and seasonal farmworking (MSFW) women population? Phenomenology is about searching for meanings and essences of experiences using first-person accounts during in-depth informational one-toone interviews, transcribed and analyzed for meanings and themes.[27,29,30]
By capturing and describing the lived experiences of healthcare providers with experience screening for IPV among MSFW patients, researchers sought to fill a gap in the literature on this vulnerable and underserved population where there is limited knowledge

Summary

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health problem[1] with serious consequences for women’s health.[2] Migrant and seasonal farmworking (MSFW) women are at risk of experiencing IPV because of cultural beliefs, environmental factors, and health disparities.[3,4,5] Despite previous researchers indicating that IPV screenings in healthcare settings increase IPV identification rates,[6,7] and previous reports that MSFW women report higher rates of IPV than the general population,[8] many providers opt not to screen for various reasons.[9,10] The authors examined providers’ experiences screening MSFW women for IPV in healthcare settings. Migrant and seasonal farmworking (MSFW) women patients experience substantially more intimate partner violence (IPV) than the general population, but few health-care providers screen patients for IPV. While researchers have examined screening practices in health-care settings, none have exclusively focused on MSFW women

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion