Four out of 10 women reported being physically hurt by a partner in their lifetimes, according to results of a survey published in the May-June issue of the
Annals of Family Medicine and co-authored by Health Science Center professors in the department of family and community medicine Sandra K. Burge, Ph.D., David Schneider, M.D., M.S.P.H., and Linda Ivy, M.D. The study, which surveyed 253 male and female family medicine patients, was designed to provide advice for doctors who want to help patients with severe family problems.
It revealed that two thirds of the sample reported that their physician had never asked them about family conflict, while 93 percent believed it could be helpful. The survey addressed demographics, relationship quality, intimate partner violence and physician interventions with family conflict.
Using qualitative analysis to summarize patients’ advice to physicians, authors found that responses clustered around three general themes: communication, assistance, and cautions or encouragement. Patients want physicians to ask about family conflict, listen to their stories, and provide information and referrals.
“Although nearly all physicians believe identification and management of family violence is important, in practice routine screening is uncommon,” Dr. Burge and colleagues wrote. “We concluded that most patients are open to discussions about family conflict with their physicians. The skills they recommend to physicians are well within the domain of family medicine training.”
Other aspects of the study showed 16 percent of men have physically hurt their partners in their lifetimes, and 100 percent of victims and perpetrators of violence believed discussions with physicians about family conflict are necessary.
Dr. Burge and colleagues concluded that “future research will examine the outcomes of violence prevention efforts in health care settings and inform family physicians’ efforts to keep families safe.”
