Healthcare providers’ perceptions on facility-based screening for intimate partner violence: a multi-center qualitative formative research at assisted reproductive technology clinics

To explore acceptable strategies and feasibility of intimate partner violence (IPV) screening at assisted reproductive technology (ART) hospitals, from the perspective of healthcare providers. Drawing on programmatic qualitative research design, this study used in-depth interviews to elicit experiences and opinions of clinicians who provided ART services in selected hospitals in Beijing, Anhui Province, Guangdong Province, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Reigion. A total of 14 ART doctors and nurses joined our study. We found that clinicians encountered suspected cases of IPV victimization and that several reported having applied strategies to identify IPV in medical practice. Acceptable strategies mentioned by clinicians include identifying key patients of concern during ART service delivery, and thereafter following up with case management. Most healthcare providers mentioned that challenges to IPV screening at ART clinics would include its incompatibility between clinical workflow, clinic venue-specific disadvantages for routinized IPV screening, and limited capacity of the healthcare workforce to respond to IPV. Healthcare providers at ART clinics have commonly encountered infertility patients who fell victim to IPV. Screening for IPV is deemed possible only if risk stratification is implemented. Several health system-level challenges should be addressed to mobilize and incentive healthcare providers to engage more with IPV screening.