Violence, particularly intimate partner violence, is a common problem in women’s lives and is associated with a multitude of negative health consequences. A growing body of evidence also suggests that female victims of violence utilize health care services more frequently and extensively than non-victims. Consequently, routine screening of all female patients for violence by intimate partners has been endorsed by many public health and health care professional associations (including the American Medical Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Nurse Midwives, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), and concerted efforts have been made to increase screening rates in health care settings. Research and practice pertaining to screening for violence in health care settings raises a number of important and sometimes unique ethical concerns. To date, however, these issues have not been systematically discussed or addressed in the literature. In this presentation, we will describe a number of established principles for ethical conduct such as beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, and fidelity, and discuss how they apply to research and practice on screening for violence. We will also examine specific ethical concerns of particular importance to research and practice about screening violence, such as safety, confidentiality, vicarious trauma, and follow-up. Strategies for identifying and addressing potential ethical concerns will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the learner will be able to: 1. List five principles that should guide ethical conduct. 2. Describe three potential ethical concerns surrounding screening for violence in health care settings. 3. Identify strategies for addressing ethical dilemmas that may arise when conducting research or practice activities on screening for violence in health care settings.
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Ethics
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.