Implementation of a Brief Abuse and Basic Needs Tool: Impact on Utilization of Social Services in Ambulatory Medical Clinics

Domestic violence (DV) screening has become increasingly common in recent years; however, many organizations still do not practice universal screening, and there is considerable debate concerning the best screening tool for detecting DV. The current research suggests that a brief tool would be ideal and that existing brief tools are comparable to more extensive instruments. Per Joint Commission standards, the ambulatory clinics at West Virginia University Hospitals instituted the use of the Functional Health Screening (FHS), a three-item tool that screens for unexplained weight changes, DV, and basic needs deficits. This tool is administered at the beginning of every outpatient clinic visit. This study includes a retrospective chart review to investigate the detection rate of this tool for DV and basic needs deficits, the increased utilization of social services, and nursing attitudes concerning FHS.