One Hospital's Response: A Medical-Law Partnership to Address Interpersonal Violence

• In Event: Optimizing Victim Support: Accomplishments, Resources, and Challenges

Abstract

Government reports note a high incidence and prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). National community based surveys report 5.9% of women and 5% of men suffered abuse within the past year, and lifetime rates are substantially higher. Victim health is compromised when safety and mental health are not considered when victims are seen for physical injury. However, evidence suggests when safety is addressed simultaneously with health, for example through legal protections such as an order of protection, victims’ overall health improves. Hospitals are well equipped to address the myriad needs of violence-involved patients and can provide excellent clinical care plans using team science. Medical Legal Partnerships (MLP), which pair medical professionals and attorneys in health care settings to use interdisciplinary case conferences, provide potential strategies to improve care including addressing violence as a core social determinant of health. We created and implemented a MLP in a hospital setting to address the ever-increasing safety needs of victims seeking medical help. A medical chart record review revealed the numbers of patients screened increased seven fold when organizational-wide screening went into effect. This paper presents the barriers and facilitators to creating MLPs and offers an infrastructure to conduct future randomized controlled trials.

Authors

• Catherine Cerulli, University of Rochester School of Medicine

• Diane Morse, University of Rochester School of Medicine

• Ellen Poleshuck, University of Rochester

• Corey Nichols-Hadeed, University of Rochester

• Nicole Trabold, University of Rochester

• Marsha Wittink, Rochester University