hits_screening_tool: HITS (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) Screening Tool

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

HITS (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) Screening Tool

Description

Calculates the HITS score, a brief 4-item screening tool for domestic violence (Intimate Partner Violence). Each item measures the frequency of a specific abusive behavior on a scale from 1 to 5. A total score greater than 10 is generally considered a positive screen.

Usage

hits_screening_tool(physically_hurt, insult, threaten_harm, scream_curse)

Arguments

physically_hurt	Numeric (1-5). How often does your partner physically hurt you?
insult	Numeric (1-5). How often does your partner insult or talk down to you?
threaten_harm	Numeric (1-5). How often does your partner threaten you with harm?
scream_curse	Numeric (1-5). How often does your partner scream or curse at you?

Details

Scoring Key: 1 = Never 2 = Rarely 3 = Sometimes 4 = Fairly Often 5 = Frequently

Value

A list containing:

HITS_Score	The calculated total score (Range 4-20).
Screening_Result	"Positive Screen" if Score > 10, otherwise "Negative Screen".
Recommendation	Clinical guidance based on the result.

References

Sherin KM, Sinacore JM, Li XQ, Zitter RE, Shakil A. HITS: A short domestic violence screening tool for use in a family practice setting. Fam Med. 1998;30(7):508-512.

Examples

# Example 1: Positive Screen
# Hurt(2), Insult(4), Threaten(2), Scream(4)
# Score = 12
hits_screening_tool(2, 4, 2, 4)

# Example 2: Negative Screen
# Never to all (1,1,1,1)
# Score = 4
hits_screening_tool(1, 1, 1, 1)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.