Barriers to Active Inquiry About Intimate Partner Violence Among German Physicians Participating in a Mandatory Training

摘要

Physicians frequently represent the first contact person for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) within the health care system, yet adequate training to comply with these expectations is frequently not incorporated into graduate and post-graduate medical curricula. We developed the first mandatory university-wide training in Germany for the management of IPV victims focusing on communication and legally admissible documentation. Concurrently, we acquired information about previous experiences, attitudes, and barriers for active inquiry about IPV among medical staff. Ninety one percent of the 825 participants completed pre- and post- training surveys and a subgroup participated in a 6-18 month follow-up. Experience, training, and subjective comfort in asking were the most significant predictors of active inquiry in multivariable analyses. Structural limitations, such as time constraints, language barriers, and lack of safe locations represented the primary barriers for active inquiry.