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Healthcare Can Change from Within: Sustained Improvement in the Healthcare Response to Intimate Partner Violence

  • RESPONSES TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
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Abstract

There is a great need to demonstrate sustained improvement in healthcare-based inquiry, intervention, and prevention provided to patients exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). We evaluated implementation of the Healthcare Can Change from Within model (HCCW) in three primary care clinics and an emergency department within a large healthcare system, using two other primary care clinics for a usual-care comparison on selected variables. Outcome measures included individual-level variables (staff knowledge and attitudes) and system characteristics (clinic policies, procedures, patient education materials, and IPV documentation in patient records). Doctors and nurses reported increased self-efficacy, understanding of referral resources, and understanding of legal issues; IPV knowledge was unchanged. Intervention clinics implemented new policies and procedures, increased patient education, and increased documentation of IPV screening, an improvement which was sustained at 2-year follow-up. Results suggest HCCW is a promising practice for improving the healthcare response to IPV.

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Acknowledgement

This project was supported by grants from the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program Foundation #2004II-0088, B. Ambuel, P.I., and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention R49/CE001175, L.K. Hamberger, P.I.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Bruce Ambuel, L. Kevin Hamberger, Clare E. Guse & Amy Kistner

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Marlene Melzer-Lange

  3. Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Mary Beth Phelan

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  1. Bruce Ambuel
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  2. L. Kevin Hamberger
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  3. Clare E. Guse
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  4. Marlene Melzer-Lange
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  5. Mary Beth Phelan
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  6. Amy Kistner
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Correspondence to Bruce Ambuel.

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Ambuel, B., Hamberger, L.K., Guse, C.E. et al. Healthcare Can Change from Within: Sustained Improvement in the Healthcare Response to Intimate Partner Violence. J Fam Viol 28, 833–847 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9550-9

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