• Amy A Ernst, Steven J Weiss, Sarah Morgan-Edwards, Tuhama Rihani, Brittany Coffman, Ross Clark, Melia Lucero, Liz Jansen, Julie Brokmeyer, Eva Kaul, Michael Hegyi, Bernadette Ramone, and Melissa Valdez.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
• J Emerg Med. 2012 Feb 1;42(2):206-17.

BackgroundThere is no short screening tool for perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV), although one is needed.ObjectiveTo retrospectively derive and prospectively validate a brief screening tool for perpetrators of IPV: the PErpetration RaPid Scale (PERPS).MethodsIn the derivation phase of the study, we developed the PERPS based on historical data. The PERPS consists of three Yes/No questions about physical abuse of a partner. In the validation phase, we prospectively screened subjects during randomized 4-h shifts in a busy emergency department (ED). Subjects were asked to complete the newly derived three-question PERPS as well as the Physical Abuse of Partner Scale (PAPS), a 25-question Likert scale that is the gold standard for detection of physical abuse of a partner. The main outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy, and Cronbach alpha of the PERPS for internal consistency.ResultsThe PERP Scale derivation was based on a 207-subject historical database, and resulted in a three-question PERPS. Validation was completed on a new set of 214 patients presenting to the ED during 52 randomized 4-h shifts. The prevalence of IPV perpetration using the PERPS was 47/207 (22.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 16-27). For the PAPS, prevalence was 56/207 (27%; 95% CI 20-32). Compared with the PAPS, the sensitivity of the PERPS was 66%, specificity 93%, negative predictive value 87%, positive predictive value 78%, with an accuracy of 85%. Cronbach alpha of the PERPS was 0.68. Age, gender, and race were not predictive of positive results on either scale.ConclusionWe successfully derived and validated a three-question perpetrator of IPV scale that can be used in a busy ED or office setting.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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