Predictors of physicians' responses to woman abuse: the role of gender, background, and brief training.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between gender, background, and brief training and physicians' detection of and treatment for woman abuse. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental and correlational designs, plus control for background factors. SETTING: Two residency training programs: general internal medicine and family practice. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five participants were residents and four were faculty members; 17 were trained and 22 were untrained physicians; 20 were women and 19 were men. MEASURES: Immediately after an encounter with each physician, a standardized patient rated speed of detection, history taking, planning, and focus on psychosocial issues. RESULTS: Women tended to detect the abuse earlier and take a more thorough history. Trained and untrained groups did not differ on any outcome variable. Prior professional training and having personally known a victim were positively associated with outcome, especially among men. CONCLUSIONS: Referrals might best be made to women counselor/advocates. More extensive training of all personnel may be needed than that provided in this study.