Screening and intervention for intimate partner violence in healthcare settings: creating sustainable system-level programs.

Abstract

Among the barriers to routine screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) are time constraints, a lack of protocols and policies, and departmental philosophies of care that may conflict with IPV screening recommendations. To address these barriers, systems-level interventions are needed; in this article, we describe one model that may overcome these obstacles. We discuss how this systemic approach may best be implemented in both out-patient clinics and emergency departments (EDs) and note that evidence for its success will be required.