Funded Projects

Well-Baby Nursery IPV Universal Education

Project Year

2024

City & State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Program Name

CATCH Resident

Topic

Family Violence

Program Description

Problem: The peripartum period is considered particularly high risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) and yet currently in the nursery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), there is no standardized and universal method through which parents receive IPV resources. In medical literature, there are two general categories of IPV advocacy tools: universal screening and universal education. Universal screening tools ask specific questions about experiences with violence and have the explicit goal of IPV disclosure. Universal education, in comparison, helps to normalize conversations around IPV and provides information to all patients, rather than just those who are in a position to disclose. It therefore acts as a form of primary prevention and has the ability to expand access to resources to all our patients. In June 2023, the AAP released updated guidelines supporting the adoption of universal education to address IPV in all pediatric clinical settings.  Primary Setting: Considering these guidelines and the heightened risk among new parents, our proposal suggests implementing universal education in the HUP nursery.   Number of children affected: With over 4,000 infants are born at HUP annually, offering universal education to enhance support for these families has the potential for a significant impact in this community.   Project Goal: We aim to increase the number of birthing parents that receive IPV universal education and improve provider comfort level and knowledge in discussing IPV with birthing parents.  Proposed Intervention: We plan to introduce a universal education tool in the HUP well baby nursey using a quality improvement framework. The tool will be offered by resident physicians and advanced practice providers (APP) to all birthing parents post-delivery. The tool previously developed and implemented at our affiliate children’s hospital is written at a fifth grade reading level and in 16 different languages and inquiries about the six most common types of IPV. The card-will only be offered when the birthing parent is alone. If the parent requests additional support, the provider will offer a social work referral and warm hand-off to our community partners, Lutheran Settlement House (LSH). As part of this intervention, we will provide education on IPV universal education to residents and APPs and training to the social work team around the community partnership and referral process.  Anticipated Outcomes: The success of this program will be measured (1) through weekly resident and APP surveys sent before and after the program implementation asking how many times they provided IPV education to a parent via the tool, as well as provider comfort and knowledge with discussing IPV with birthing parents and (2) via tracking IPV referrals to social work and LSH. The secondary aim is to increase provider comfort and knowledge around providing IPV education, which will be measured through self-reported surveys. The program will be considered successful if there is an increase in IPV education performed by residents and referrals to social work, as well as improved provider comfort and knowledge. 

Project Goal

Our goal is to increase the number of birthing parents that receive IPV Universal Education and improve provider comfort and knowledge level in discussing IPV with birth parents.

Project Objective 1

We will increase the number of birthing parents in the HUP Well Baby Nursery that receive IPV Universal Education from 0-5% to 40% within a 6 month period following implementation of universal education tool.

Project Objective 2

We will increase the number of Social Work referrals around IPV by residents and APPs in the HUP Well Baby Nursery by 20% within a 6 month period following implementation of universal education tool.

Project Objective 3

We will improve resident and APP comfort level in providing IPV universal education from an average of Very Uncomfortable/ Uncomfortable to an average of Comfortable AND improve knowledge around providing IPV universal education from an average of Very Unknowledgeable to an average of Somewhat Knowledgeable within a 6 month period following implementation of universal education tool.

AAP District

District III

Institutional Name

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania/Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Contact 1

Cheyenne Smith, MD