SGEM Xtra: How To Save A Life – Screening for Intimate Partner Violence in the Emergency Department

Date: November 19th, 2022 Reference: Khatib N, and Sampsel K. CAEP Position Statement Executive Summary: Where is the love? Intimate partner violence (IPV) in the Emergency Department (ED). CJE.M 2022 Nov Dr. Nour Khatib Guest Skeptics: Dr. Nour Khatib is an emergency physician in Toronto working in community sites Markham Stouffville Hospital and Lakeridge health. Dr. Khatib also works in remote Northern communities in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. She is currently the professional development and education lead at Lakeridge Health and lead preceptor for Lakeridge Health learners. She is the VP of Finance of a not-for-profit emergency education organization creating educational events for community emergency doctors. Prior to her career in medicine, she was a financial analyst for Pratt & Whitney Canada and has a background in Finance and an MBA. Her unique work and life experiences have fueled her passion for leadership, patient education, and quality improvement. Dr. Kari Sampsel Dr. Kari Sampsel is a staff Emergency Physician and Medical Director of the Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program at the Ottawa Hospital and an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa. She has been active in the fields of forensic medicine and medical education, with multiple international conference presentations, publications and committee work. She has been honored with a number of national awards in recognition of her commitment to education and awareness. She has founded a technology/consultancy company to assist organizations in policy development, staff training, investigation and prevention of sexual harassment and assault. She is also an avid CrossFitter and believes that strength and advocacy are the way to a better world. This is an SGEM Xtra episode. The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) put out a position statement on intimate partner violence (IPV) on November 2, 2022.  CAEP has several position statements including homelessness, violence in the ED, gender equity, opioid use disorder and other topics. We did an SGEM Xtra episode covering the CAEP position statement on Access to Dental Care. The key message is that CAEP believes that every Canadian should have affordable, timely, and equitable access to dental care. TRIGGER WARNING: As a warning to those listening to the podcast or reading the blog post, there may be some things discussed about IPV that could be upsetting. The SGEM is free and open access trying to cut the knowledge translation down to less than one year. It is intended for clinicians providing care to emergency patients, so they get the best care, based on the best evidence. Some of the IPV material we are going to be talking about on the show could trigger some strong emotions. If you are feeling upset by the content, then please stop listening or reading. There will be resources listed at the end of the blog for those looking for assistance. The rate of women murdered by a current or ex-partner in Canada has increased from 1 in every 6 days, to one in every 36 hours in 2022. Canada’s Emergency Departments are where survivors of violence most often seek care, and where the violence against them is not always recognized. A new position statement from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, published in November 2022, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, aims to guide Emergency Department staff in the recognition and care of survivors of violence. This statement helps guide clinicians and emergency departments on how to implement processes to identify, treat and keep survivors of intimate partner violence safe. Questions for Dr. Khatib and Dr. Sampsel Nour and Kari were asked a number of questions about IPV and the CAEP Position Statement. Please listen to the SGEM Xtra podcast on iTunes to hear their answers and for more details. How do you define IPV? IPV refers to any behaviour within an intimate relations...