“What I Might Have Been Missing by Not Asking These Questions”: Clinicians’ Decisions to Screen for IPV Use and Experience and Observed Impacts (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Recent research has found that concurrent intimate partner violence (IPV) experience (i.e., victimization) and use (i.e., perpetration) may be more common than experiencing or using IPV in isolation. Therefore, screening for IPV experience and use concurrently is needed to provide resources and connect patients to care. OBJECTIVE In this work, we explore how clinicians made decisions to use a screening protocol for IPV use and experience and their perceptions of how concurrent screening impacted patients, clinicians, and the healthcare system. METHODS We conducted qualitative interviews with 19 clinicians who participated in a pilot screening implementation initiative and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. RESULTS We identified four themes: (1) new screening implementation is challenging; (2) screening for IPV use and experience concurrently can be uncomfortable; (3) pivoting strategies can make screening easier; (4) screening for IPV use and experience concurrently is impactful. CONCLUSIONS Findings demonstrate the need for and importance of screening concurrently for IPV use and experience while bringing awareness to difficulties with implementing any new screener. Results highlight opportunities for pivoting strategies and ongoing training and education around managing concurrent IPV use and experience. CLINICALTRIAL n/a