“Our research offers proof of concept that AI can support clinicians in flagging possible abuse earlier,” said Bharti Khurana, MD, MBA, principal investigator, corresponding and senior author, founding director of the Trauma Imaging Research and Innovation Center and an emergency radiologist in the Mass General Brigham Department of Radiology. “Earlier identification of intimate partner violence and future risk may enable clinicians to intervene sooner and help prevent significant mental and physical health consequences.”

The hidden scale of partner violence

More than one-third of women and one in 10 men will experience IPV in their lifetimes; yet, despite its high prevalence, people rarely disclose IPV to health providers due to fear, stigma, or financial or psychosocial dependence on the person abusing them. Prior research shows that people experiencing IPV are more likely to disclose abuse if asked privately by a trusted health provider in a trauma-informed manner.