Detecting Ongoing Intimate Partner Violence in the Emergency Department Using a Simple 4-Question Screen: The OVAT

• NCJ Number: 208296
• Journal: Violence and Victims Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 375-384
• Author(s): Amy A. Ernst; Steven J. Weiss; Elaine Cham; Louise Hall; Todd G. Nick
• Editor(s): Roland D. Maiuro Ph.D.
• Date Published: June 2004
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study evaluated the intimate partner violence screening tool, the OVAT and validated the OVAT against the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA).

Abstract

Without a systematic approach and screening of all patients presenting for medical care, detection of intimate partner violence (IPV) would be difficult. The objective of this study was to validate the four-question screening tool, the OVAT, against the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA) and determine its ease for use in the primary care setting. It was hypothesized that the OVAT (ongoing violence assessment tool) would demonstrate high sensitivity, specifically predictive values, and accuracy in comparison to the present ISA. Three hundred and six eligible patients completed the study. The study tested the accuracy of the 4-question OVAT against the 30-question ISA. The prevalence of ongoing IPV using the OVAT was 31 percent. The study demonstrated the ability of a four-question tool to detect ongoing (present) intimate partner violence in a busy office practice setting. References and appendix