ovat_screening_tool: Ongoing Violence Assessment Tool (OVAT)

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

Ongoing Violence Assessment Tool (OVAT)

Description

Calculates the OVAT score, a concise 4-item screening tool derived from the HITS index. It is designed specifically to identify ongoing (current) intimate partner violence in clinical settings. A "Yes" to any question constitutes a positive screen.

Usage

ovat_screening_tool(physically_hurt, threaten_harm, scream_curse,
                    insult_talk_down)

Arguments

physically_hurt	Numeric (0 or 1). Has your partner physically hurt you? (1 = Yes).
threaten_harm	Numeric (0 or 1). Has your partner threatened you with harm? (1 = Yes).
scream_curse	Numeric (0 or 1). Has your partner screamed or cursed at you? (1 = Yes).
insult_talk_down	Numeric (0 or 1). Has your partner insulted or talked down to you? (1 = Yes).

Value

A list containing:

OVAT_Score	The calculated total score (Range 0-4).
Screening_Result	"Positive Screen" (Score >= 1) or "Negative Screen".
Recommendation	Clinical guidance based on the result.

References

Ernst AA, Weiss SJ, Cham E, Hall LC, Nick TG. Ongoing Violence Assessment Tool (OVAT): development and validation of a new screening tool for identifying ongoing intimate partner violence. Acad Emerg Med. 2002;9(11):1383-1390.

Examples

# Example 1: Positive Screen
# Partner screams/curses (1), no physical harm (0)
ovat_screening_tool(0, 0, 1, 0)

# Example 2: Negative Screen
# No affirmative answers
ovat_screening_tool(0, 0, 0, 0)

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