Screening for intimate partner violence using an audiotape questionnaire: a randomized clinical trial in a pediatric emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
To compare women's acceptability ratings of 2 different intimate partner violence screening methods, an audiotape questionnaire and a written questionnaire, in a pediatric emergency department.


METHODS
Randomized clinical trial.


METHODS
An urban, pediatric, tertiary care center emergency department.


METHODS
Female caregivers of children.


METHODS
Intimate partner violence screening by either an audiotape or written questionnaire method.


METHODS
Perceptions of each screening method's safety, acceptability, and ease of use.


RESULTS
Fifty (10%) of 497 participants reported intimate partner violence, 30 (11%) of 266 in the audiotape group and 20 (9%) of 231 in the written questionnaire group (P = .30). Women in the audiotape group were significantly more likely to report that the audiotape method did not put them at risk and was private. Women in both groups were satisfied with their screening method and were willing to use it again. Women in both groups preferred their given method over the idea of direct emergency department provider screening.


CONCLUSIONS
Screening for intimate partner violence with an audiotape method appears to have several advantages compared with screening by a written questionnaire, and the audiotape method may be associated with slightly higher rates of disclosing intimate partner violence.


BACKGROUND
http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00122395.
Bair-Merritt
Megan H
MH
Pediatric Generalist Research Group, Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. merritt@email.chop.edu
Feudtner
Chris
C
Mollen
Cynthia J
CJ
Winters
Sarah
S
Blackstone
Mercedes
M
Fein
Joel A
JA
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D030881:Disclosure; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012449:Safety; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013637:Tape Recording; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data