Evaluating domestic partner abuse in a family practice clinic.
OBJECTIVE
Although national surveys indicate that approximately 2 million women are victims of severe physical aggression by their partners each year, these women are underidentified by physicians. The assessment by medical personnel of partner abuse is hampered by lack of a simple and reliable instrument that systematically and quickly determines the occurrence and effect of abuse among patients.


METHODS
Ninety (58% of an eligible pool) consecutive, consenting, eligible female patients at a suburban family practice clinic at a tertiary university hospital completed the Partner Abuse Interview to evaluate the 1-year prevalence and effect of abuse.


RESULTS
The Partner Abuse Interview required as little as 3 minutes to administer. Results obtained with the interview instrument were internally consistent. Interrater reliability was high for the diagnosis of partner relationship problems with physical abuse by males, as reported by females. Approximately 15% of the women reported having sustained injury or being fearful of their partners as a result of their partners' physical aggression in the past year.


CONCLUSIONS
The Partner Abuse Interview is a simple and reliable instrument that could be adapted for use by medical personnel to assess incidents of abuse among patients.
Pan
H S
HS
Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA.
Ehrensaft
M K
MK
Heyman
R E
RE
O'Leary
K D
KD
Schwartz
R
R
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology