Educating Healthcare Professionals on Evidence-Based Domestic Violence Interventions

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to train healthcare professionals (HCP) on evidence-based interventions for domestic violence (DV). Background: DV occurs at high rates and negatively impacts physical and mental health. Intermittently screening patients for DV is healthcare’s current response and this is inadequate. Evidence shows the most effective way to assist DV victims is through active psychoeducation. Active psychoeducation involves a conversation between the HCP and patient about relationship safety, the sharing of local resources, and a referral to a local DV agency if warranted. Methods: A virtual educational intervention was recorded and made available to members of a professional nursing organization in the Western United States. The educational intervention provided instruction on the Confidentiality, Universal education, Empowerment, Support (CUES) method, an active psychoeducation technique. The post-education survey was a modified version of Project Catalyst’s Post-Training Survey for Community Health Centers with twenty-one questions pertaining to understanding of the training and intention to incorporate CUES into clinical practice. Results: Eleven participants completed the educational intervention and post-education survey. Descriptive statistics demonstrated that participants strongly agreed (73%) and agreed (27%) that the training improved their ability to provide active psychoeducation on DV. All participants reported an intention to incorporate CUES into their clinical practice. Conclusion: Training HCP to provide active psychoeducation on DV to their patients increases professionals’ ability to incorporate this evidence-based method into clinical practice.