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Training needed to manage patients who commit intimate partner violence

Family medicine physicians are not adequately prepared to manage patients who are perpetrators of intimate partner violence, according to research recently published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

“Research suggests that male perpetrators are open to discussing family conflict with physicians, and the AAFP, in its position paper on violence, states that family physicians have a role in recognizing and appropriately referring perpetrators of [intimate partner violence],” Brian Penti, MD, of the department of family medicine at Boston University, and colleagues wrote. “Nonetheless, there is limited information about the circumstances in which physicians interact with perpetrators of [intimate partner violence] and the methods physicians use or should use when interacting with them.”

To glean more data on how family medicine physicians handle such situations, Penti and colleagues interviewed 15 physicians. The questions focused on:

•how they learned that their patients had a history of committing intimate partner violence and what they did in such situations;

•what knowledge they had of treating victim(s) and other family members when also treating the abuser;

•what mindsets they held about screening for the perpetration of intimate partner violence and providing care for those patients who commit it; and

•what resources they were familiar with to treat these patients and address obstacles encountered.

Researchers found the most common responses were that physicians:

•learned of or identified intimate partner violence by a patient’s medical records (n = 13);

•saw lack of training as a barrier to identifying and responding to intimate partner violence committed by men;

•learned of or identified intimate partner violence by a patient disclosing the fact (n = 12); and

•assessed for comorbidities or responded to the intimate partner violence by discussing coping strategies (n = 11).

“Given that family medicine physicians are often treating both partners in an abusive relationship, or the entire family, it is critical that family medicine physicians receive training on the complex dynamics of intimate partner violence as well as considerations relating to confidentiality, legal responsibility, and the safety of victims, perpetrators, and any other family members when providing care for perpetrators of intimate partner violence,” Penti and colleagues wrote. “Furthermore, given the negative effects of parental intimate partner violence on children, it is important for physicians to assess the well-being of any children and be aware of state-mandated reporting laws.” – by Janel Miller

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.