Does health care provider screening for domestic violence vary by race and income?
Domestic violence (DV) affects approximately 25% of women in the United States with approximately 5.3 million incidents each year. DV advocates and national medical associations encourage health care providers (HCPs) to screen patients. To determine DV screening rates by race and income, patient race/ethnicity, income, and receipt of and receptiveness toward screening were measured. Patient preference for screening did not vary by race and varied little by income, but experience with screening did. Practices serving predominantly African American and lower income patients screened at higher rates. These findings seem driven by practice factors rather than differential treatment of individuals. Future research should focus on why certain types of practices screen more than others.
Wake Forest University Health Sciences, USA.
Erin K
EK
Weeks
Shellie D
SD
Ellis
Peter R
PR
Lichstein
Denise E
DE
Bonds
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration