Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a pervasive global issue as the leading cause of nonfatal injury among women. Historically, efforts to address IPV have primarily centred on supporting survivors, often neglecting the identification of and assistance for perpetrators, which may more effectively interrupt the cycle of violence. Existing screening tools used to identify perpetrators of IPV are limited by excessive length and accusatory language, underscoring the need for a tool characterized by brevity and neutrality to effectively provide assistance for this population. This study aimed to assess the acceptability of a series of questions, that were informed by patient perspectives, in order to develop a screening tool for identifying IPV perpetrators within fracture and hand clinics.

Employing a convergent mixed-methods approach, this study integrated focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and cross-sectional surveys. Orthopaedic patients, healthcare providers, and male clients participating in a men’s counselling program were recruited to provide their unique insights into the developed screening tool. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative component of the study, while proportion test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, receiver operating characteristic curve and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data.

A total of 224 orthopaedic patients, 151 healthcare providers, and four male clients participated in the study. The five most acceptable questions were identified from both patient and healthcare provider groups, with three questions demonstrating consistency across both cohorts. Thematic analysis revealed the following five key themes in the development of a screening tool to identify perpetrators of violence:​ Immersing, Non-blaming, Recognizing, Distinguishing, and Emphasizing. The final SAVE screening tool was developed by integrating both qualitative and quantitative findings.

These findings support the implementation and further validation of the novel SAVE screening tool for IPV perpetrators across various healthcare settings. Identifying perpetrators is paramount in guiding educational initiatives and interventions aimed at addressing violent behaviour, with the ultimate goal of disrupting the cycle of IPV.