Accidents & Violence, Author Interviews, CDC, JAMA, Primary Care / 05.08.2015
Primary Care Study: Screening Women For Partner Violence Did Not Improve Health
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Joanne Klevens, MD, PhD
Division of Violence Prevention
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Klevens: The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends women of reproductive age be screened for partner violence but others, such as the World Health Organization and the Cochrane Collaborative conclude there is insufficient evidence for this recommendation. Our randomized clinical trial allocated 2700 women seeking care in outpatient clinics to 1 of 3 study groups: computerized partner violence screening and provision of local resource list, universal provision of partner violence resource list without screening, or a no-screen/no resource list control group. No differences were found in women’s quality of life, days lost from work or housework, use of health care and partner violence services, or the recurrence of partner violence after 1 year. In this three-year follow-up, no differences were found in the average number of hospitalizations, emergency room visits or ambulatory care visits.
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