Citation

Day S, Fox J, Majercik S, Redmond FK, Pugh M, Bledsoe J. J. Trauma Nurs. 2015; 22(3): 176-181.

Affiliation

Department of Trauma Services (Mss Day, Fox, and Pugh, Dr Majercik), Social Services Department (Ms Redmond), and Department of Emergency Medicine (Dr Bledsoe), Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, Utah.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Society of Trauma Nurses)

DOI

10.1097/JTN.0000000000000128

PMID

25961484

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to design and implement a domestic violence (DV) screening protocol. Trauma patients meeting inclusion criteria (hospitalized > 48 hours) were given a four question DV screen. If abuse was found, a comprehensive DV questionnaire followed. Barriers to screening and results were recorded. Compliance during the pilot test showed 23 of 157 (14.6%) admitted patients were screened. In the implementation year, 446 of 721 (61.9%) were screened. During the 10-month follow-up, 499 of 619 (80.6%) patients were screened. Lack of social work resources was the primary barrier to screening, but compliance increased and was maintained after the study period.

Language: en