Orthopedic teams refer a fraction of patients for intimate partner violence intervention compared to other specialties, despite being well-positioned to detect signs of abuse, according to a study by Boston-based Mass General Brigham.
Researchers analyzed referral patterns from Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital between 2000 and 2024. Of more than 11,000 referrals to domestic abuse intervention programs, just 0.3% came from orthopedic surgery, compared to 29.3% from emergency departments and 18.2% from behavioral health, according to a Jan. 5 news release.
Many patients referred by orthopedic teams had no recent contact with other providers, indicating musculoskeletal clinics were their only point of care. More than half sought elective treatment, highlighting missed opportunities to identify abuse during routine visits.
Orthopedic teams’ expertise in injury patterns and longitudinal patient relationships make them uniquely positioned to screen for IPV. They urged increased education, stronger ties to support programs and integration of tools like AI-assisted risk detection into orthopedic workflows, according to the release.
