Better assessment tools, metrics needed to protect against violence
Hospital workers in the United States and Canada are under an increasing threat of violence according to a new survey by the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS). The organization’s 2014 Healthcare Crime Survey reveals that violent crimes, which include murder, rape, and robbery, were up by 16% in 2013 as compared to data collected in 2012. Survey participants reported that 1,669 violent crimes occurred in 2013. Data from 2012 indicate that 1,437 incidents occurred. The IAHSS also reports that 5,784 simple assaults were reported in the latest survey, a nearly 6% increase over the 2012 data, which revealed that 5,464 simple assaults occurred.
According to press reports, Steve Nibbelink, the president of IAHSS, attributes the increased violence, in part, to the higher acuity of patients coming into the hospital. This leads to more destructive behavior from both patients and families, he says. Another factor driving the increase is better reporting of violent crime by hospital staff. Nibbelink says hospitals are doing a better job of educating their personnel to report abuse and instances of violence.
However, there is still room for improvement on reporting. Karim Vellani, CPP, CSC, the lead author of the 2014 Healthcare Crime Survey, says it is clear from the data that some hospitals still don’t seem to be well-aware of what is happening in their facilities. He notes that while a majority of the participating hospitals were able to provide specific details about the incidents of violence in their facilities, some were not able to provide this added information. He suggests that hospitals need better metrics and assessment tools in order to identify solutions that will address their specific issues.
Overall, of the 386 hospitals that took part in the survey, 242 provided data that could be used, according to IAHSS. These 242 hospitals included 56,000 hospital beds and more than 209 million square feet of clinics, research space, and medical office buildings.
Editor’s note: The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) is the philanthropic arm of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) based in Glendale, IL. You can access the 2014 Healthcare Crime Survey results at: http://iahss.org/Events/Announcements.asp#ID85.
