Health visitors' domestic violence routine questioning tool: An exploration of women's experience, effectiveness and acceptability

Research has demonstrated that health visitors (HV) are in a unique position to routinely ask women about interpersonal abuse (IPA) and violence within their relationships. Interpersonal violence (IPV) describes physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse by a partner or ex-partner, a common healthcare issue. The present paper describes a qualitative study of women who consented to be questioned by health visitors in the City of Salford, in relation to IPV. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of domestic violence (DV) and the acceptability of a questioning tool, with women registering for HV services over a period of four months. A convenience sample was utilised, conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with 56 women. Thirty-four per cent disclosed IPV/IPA, with 16 per cent of incidents in the previous 12 months. HVs were surprised at the women's comfort and acceptance of the IPA questions. Thematic analysis identified concerns regarding the effects on children and the usage of not only obstetric/gynecological and general practitioner (GP) clinics but also pre-hospital emergency healthcare provision. Therefore, this small pilot study recommends routine IPA questioning by HVs, within a safe environment.