Intimate Partner Violence Consensus Statement

Objective: To provide health care providers with a summary of current knowledge on intimate partner violence (IPV) and to propose recommendations for best practices. To provide tools and resources to support interventions. Outcomes: Optimizing provider skills in assessing for intimate partner violence (IPV) and responding to disclosure, promoting institutional and community coordination in a public health approach, and improving safety and health for all women. Evidence: Published and unpublished meta-analyses on screening for violence were reviewed, as well as literature published subsequent to December 2002. To update the 1996 guidelines on domestic violence, key reports and documents produced by governments, professional associations, and coalitions were identified. External stakeholders critiqued a draft document and provided feedback. Values: The quality of the evidence is rated with the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination. Recommendations: for practice are ranked according to the method described in this report. Recommendations: Comments are to be received from reviewers, and then summary statements and recommendations are to be done.