Objectives
Physicians participating in this activity should be able to:
- Define Domestic Violence (DV) and describe the range and pattern of abusive behaviors, the dynamics of DV, and the incidence and prevalence of DV
- Discuss the barriers to DV disclosure, victims of DV seeking health care, and DV victims leaving their perpetrators
- Incorporate into the basic history and assessment appropriate DV screening questions and thoroughly document findings including suicide/homicide assessment and lethality assessment
- Discuss varying presentations of patients such as general medical presentations, pediatric presentations, geriatric presentations, and gynecological and obstetrical presentations
- Assist victims of DV develop an emergency safety plan
- Refer victims of DV to the National Domestic Violence Hotline for assistance
- Have a basic understanding of Pennsylvania reporting requirements and Protection From Abuse Orders (PFA)
Many physicians and other health care practitioners are uncomfortable and hesitant to ask their patients about domestic violence. Usually you can't detect it through a physical examination. Unless asked directly about it, most patients will not mention abuse in a normal history and physical. Routine diagnostics can't reveal an injured psyche or broken spirit.
So, how do physicians raise such a sensitive topic? If a patient is being abused, will raising the issue alienate her or him? How can a physician build an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality so the patient will be likely to talk about an abusive relationship?
Finding answers to these questions is critical. It is estimated that 20-30 percent of all women in the U.S. have been physically or sexually abused by an intimate partner at some point in their adult lives.
1 In 2002, 151 deaths were attributed to domestic violence in Pennsylvania.
2 The video "Screen to End Abuse" was produced by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, San Francisco, CA. Included on the video are interviews with physicians and other practitioners who regularly screen for domestic violence and abuse. These practitioners then reenact a sample encounter. Several different scenarios and patient demographics are explored.
Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Information
The Pennsylvania Medical Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.00
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the educational activity.
Faculty and all others who have the ability to control the content of continuing medical education activities sponsored by the Pennsylvania Medical Society are expected to disclose to the audience whether they do or do not have any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest or other relationships related to the content of their presentation(s).
Although "Domestic Violence: Screen to End Abuse" is open to anyone who is interested,
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for completion of the course can be awarded only to physicians (MDs and DOs). Other professionals such as nurses and therapists should contact their professional organizations for information on receiving credit for reviewing the materials associated with this program.
Activity Development Team
The following persons involved in the content review and selection for this educational activity have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests:
Gwendolyn A. Poles, DO – Planning Committee
Nancy Duborow, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence – Planning Committee
Valerie Meya, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare – Planning Committee
Mary Ellen Corum and Judd Mellinger-Blouch, State Society Staff – Planning Committee
The Pennsylvania Medical Society worked cooperatively on this project with the PA Department of Public Welfare and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, both of which provided funding.
This activity is composed of two articles and a half-hour video followed by a CME quiz. Please click on the links below to review the materials. You may take the quiz after reading the articles and watching the video.
Enduring material: Expires Dec. 31, 2008
[Top] Articles
To access these articles you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer.
Domestic Violence: A Guide to Screening and Intervention Integrating Routine Inquiry about Domestic Violence into Daily Practice Streaming Video
Click on the link to open the appropriate streaming video in Windows Media Player. To maximize the size of picture, double click on the video once it starts playing.
Screen to End Abuse for Broadband Users Screen to End Abuse for Dialup Users CME QuizBefore accessing the quiz, first view the video, then read both articles above.
Upon completion of all viewing and reading requirements, access the
CME assessment.
References
Inquires about this publication should be directed to CME Administrator, Pennsylvania Medical Society, PO Box 8820 Harrisburg, PA 17105-8820 by mail or call (717) 558-7750.
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