A Randomized Controlled Trial Using Insinuated Standardized Patients to Assess Residents' Domestic Violence Skills Following a Two-Hour Workshop

BACKGROUND: Residents feel inadequately trained to treat domestic violence victims. PURPOSE: The purpose was to assess clinical skills of residents participating in a domestic violence workshop. METHODS: Twenty-seven internal medicine residents were randomized to receive one of two workshops (domestic violence or control workshop). Standardized patients were trained to two domestic violence cases (depressed; injured). The two cases were randomized and insinuated into each resident's continuity clinic at either 1 to 3 months or more than 3 months after the workshops. RESULTS: The domestic violence workshop residents did not identify the standardized patients as domestic violence victims any more often than residents participating in the control workshop; 16/25 (64%) versus 13/23 (56%), p=.86. However, domestic violence workshop residents were more likely to score 75% or higher on the domestic violence checklist items compared to control workshop residents; 9/25 (36%) versus 2/23 (9%), p=.04. CONCLUSIONS: Once a standardized patient was identified in clinic as a domestic violence victim, domestic violence workshop participating residents demonstrated better clinical skills than a control group.