Disclosure of intimate partner violence experiences during COVID-19: patient-provider communication in a Southern United States emergency department

Using the lens of Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, this article examines communication between health care providers in the southern United States emergency department (ED) and patients who have experienced IPV. We qualitatively examine communicative challenges that COVID-19 protocols have created, as well as routine difficulties that occur when communicating with survivors of violence. The participants described challenges including: (1) Feeling uncertainty, (2) Encountering patient resistance, (3) Managing apathy and frustration, and (4) Navigating time pressure. Furthermore, the providers explained how COVID-19 compounded those challenges through: (1) Minimizing contact, (2) Losing nonverbal behavior, (3) Encountering limited resources, and (4) Facing visitor complications. This article extends CPM theory by exploring disclosure challenges related to IPV in health care settings during the COVID-19 pandemic including permeability, linkages, and privacy rules. It offers practical suggestions for increasing patient disclosure of IPV experiences.