Screening for intimate partner violence using an audiotape questionnaire: a randomized clinical trial in a pediatric emergency department

Abstract

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.

Design: Randomized clinical trial.

Setting: An urban, pediatric, tertiary care center emergency department.

Participants: Female caregivers of children.

Main exposure: Intimate partner violence screening by either an audiotape or written questionnaire method.

Main outcome measures: 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.

Trial registration: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00122395.