Targeted training can improve knowledge and attitudes

Healthcare providers play a crucial role in mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence (MR-IPV). However, previous research has shown that it is a debated topic and can present challenges for them. This highlights the importance of training programs to ensure that healthcare providers can fulfill their obligations.

To address this, we developed an educational intervention on MR-IPV and evaluated its impact on 37 healthcare providers’ knowledge and attitudes. The study used a pre- and post-test design with three measurement points: baseline (T0), immediately after the intervention (T1), and six months later (T2). The intervention was conducted at a university college in Norway, with data collected between October 2022 and May 2023.

Our findings suggest that this educational intervention can have a positive impact on healthcare providers' attitudes and compliance with MR-IPV. Before the intervention, only 2.9% of participants knew about the MR law, but this increased to 62.9% immediately after the intervention. Six months later, 31.4% still knew the law. The number of participants who knew the relevant criteria went from 0.0% at the start to 68.6% after the intervention, and 34.3% after six months. We also observed several persistent changes in healthcare providers' attitudes towards MR, including finding MR to be a useful instrument and generally complying with MR requirements. Before the intervention, few participants reported knowing the MR law and its application criteria, demonstrating the importance of continuous learning and evidence-based training programs.

In the article An educational intervention study on mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence: changes in knowledge and attitudes among healthcare providers published in the journal BMC Medical Education, you can explore further results. The authors are Thea Beate Brevik, Petter Laake, Stål Bjørkly, Kjartan Leer-Salvesen, and Solveig Karin Bø Vatnar.