Physical therapists' recognition of battered women in clinical settings

Abstract

Background and purpose: The purposes of this study were to describe physical therapists' knowledge regarding battered women and to determine whether physical therapists recognize these patients in clinical settings.

Subjects and methods: Two hundred questionnaires were distributed to outpatient physical therapists in northern California. One hundred fifty-one usable questionnaires (76%) were returned.

Results: Although 43% of the respondents reported treating a patient they identified or strongly suspected as having been battered, only two respondents (1%) reported they routinely asked patients about physical abuse. Less than 50% of the respondents correctly identified that battering injuries are more likely to occur in a central pattern (ie, head, neck, chest, abdomen).

Discussion and conclusion: The results of this survey suggest that physical therapists have treated patients who are battered. Many physical therapists, however, may not be fully educated to detect the signs of abuse. This study is the first step in initiating physical therapy research in domestic violence identification and education.

PIP: Domestic violence from a spouse or an intimate partner has become a public issue as well as criminal justice, since it was known to be a leading cause of death, in the US. Physical therapists (PTs) play a critical role in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in health care of a battered patient. This study describes the knowledge of PTs regarding battered women and determines whether PTs recognize these patients in clinical settings. 200 questionnaires were distributed to 25 outpatient PT facilities in northern California. 151 usable questionnaires were returned. Results showed that out of the 151 respondents (121 females, 30 males), 43% dealt with women whom they strongly suspected or identified as being physically battered; however, only 1% of the respondents routinely inquired about physical abuse. Furthermore, 42% correctly identified the neck, head, chest, and abdomen as the most common location of injuries, and having depression as a psychological symptom resulting from the abuse. The results of the survey suggest that the detection of battered patients by a PT was very low. This could be due to the PT's lack of domestic violence education; and reluctance to ask patients whether they were abused; or beliefs that domestic violence was an uncommon occurrence in their patients' lives.