The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) screen show on intimate partner violence during pregnancy is designed as a training tool for clinicians to increase understanding of the important role they can play in identifying, preventing, and reducing intimate partner violence. The screen show also emphasizes the critical window of opportunity that prenatal care provides for the screening and referral of pregnant women.

The screen show is designed as an introductory or supplementary learning tool. It alone is probably not a sufficient intervention to change clinical practice. In a recent review of the literature on interventions to increase screening in clinical settings, Waalen and associates found that one-time, didactic training sessions do not significantly increase screening by clinicians. Rather, the literature points to the potential success of programs that offer training sessions, such as this screen show, in conjunction with other reinforcing and enabling strategies, including role-playing, periodic discussions at staff meetings, staffing changes, and institutional support. The literature also indicates that periodic, repeated training sessions may help maintain increased levels of screening for violence in clinical settings.

The effectiveness of screening in clinical settings also will be greatly enhanced if links to community violence prevention and intervention services are in place and strong. We encourage you to contact local violence prevention advocates to develop a network for referral of patients whose lives are affected by violence.

Along with this screen show, we have provided a bibliography and resource lists. Using these supporting materials can enrich the content presented in the screen show.

Target Audiences

1. Obstetrics and gynecology residents as part of a lecture series, independent study, department conference, Grand Rounds
     
2. ACOG Fellows and Junior Fellows, attendees seeking continuing medical education at a local society meeting, attendees at hospital department meetings
     
3. Third-year medical students on obstetric-gynecologic clinical rotation as part of their lecture series
     
4. First- and second-year medical students for whom the content is integral to courses such as "Introduction to Clinical Medicine" and "Medical Ethics"
     
5. Other health care providers, including emergency department personnel, dentists, nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners, and mental health care providers

Learning Objectives

1. To place the emerging knowledge about the definition, epidemiology, and demography of intimate partner violence around the time of pregnancy into a clinical context
     
2. To encourage and support the physician's routine inquiry about violence of all patients in the office, clinic, and hospital 
      
3. To identify the presenting symptoms and signs of an abused woman through history taking and physical examination 
      
4. To formulate an action plan with immediate support for an abused woman returning to an unsafe environment 
      
5. To identify the components of long-term support and intervention available to abused women in the local community
      
6. To facilitate an abused woman's consideration of and access to local community services and agencies
      
7. To create an office environment that helps women learn more about violence

Length of Presentation

This lecture can range from 30 to 60 minutes, according to the audience and the objectives for the audience.

Date last reviewed: 03/21/2006
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion