USPSTF Recommends Screening for Intimate Partner Violence

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has issued an update to its 2004 statement on screening for intimate partner violence. The new guidelines now call for screening of all women of child-bearing age for intimate partner violence (eg, domestic violence). If abuse is suspected, physicians need to refer patients to intervention services.

The recommendation is based on a review of evidence of the accuracy of screening tools for identifying intimate partner violence. The CDC estimates that almost one third of all women have experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

The review also found that there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend for or against screening elderly or vulnerable adults for abuse and neglect.

More information on the recommendation can be found at: 
http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsipv.htm.
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1558517.