Primary care providers with more experience and stronger self-efficacy beliefs regarding women veterans screen more frequently for interpersonal violence

Background: Military sexual trauma (MST) and/or intimate partner violence (IPV) are common experiences in the growing group of women veterans using the Veterans Health Administration health care system. And even though MST screening is closely monitored at the facility level, little is known about individual primary care provider (PCP) behavior with regard to screening women for MST and IPV. 

Objectives: To understand how PCP experiences and beliefs regarding women's health care influence PCP-reported screening for MST and IPV.

Research Design and Participants: We administered a cross-sectional online survey from September 2014 through April 2015 (supplemented by a mailed survey between April and May 2015) to 281 PCPs in 12 Veterans Health Administration medical centers. 

Measures and Analysis: Surveys measured PCP-reported screening frequency for MST and IPV, experience with women veterans, self-efficacy, gender-sensitive beliefs, and perceived barriers to providing comprehensive care for women. We used multivariable ordered logistic regression analysis to identify correlates of screening, weighted for nonresponse and adjusted for clustering. RESULTS: Ninety-four PCPs (34%) completed the survey. Being a designated women's health provider (p .05) and stronger self-efficacy beliefs about screening women for MST (p .001) were associated with reporting more frequent screening for MST. Being a designated women's health provider (p .01), seeing women patients at least once per week (p .001), and self-efficacy beliefs about screening women for IPV (p .001) were associated with reporting more frequent screening for IPV. 

Conclusions: Veterans Health Administration initiatives to enhance PCP opportunities to screen women veterans for trauma and to strengthen self-efficacy beliefs about comprehensive women's health care may increase screening of women veterans for MST and IPV.