Deriving a Framework for a Systems Approach to Agitated Patient Care in the Emergency Department

The rising agitated patient population presenting to the emergency department (ED) has caused increasing safety threats for health care workers and patients. Development of evidence-based strategies has been limited by the lack of a structured framework to examine agitated patient care in the ED. In this study, a systems approach from the patient safety literature was used to derive a comprehensive theoretical framework for addressing ED patient agitation.

A mixed-methods approach was used with ED staff members at an academic site and a community site of a regional health care network. Participants consisted of resident and attending physicians, physician assistants/nurse practitioners, nurses, technicians, and security officers. After a simulated agitated patient encounter to prime participants, uniprofessional and interprofessional focus groups were conducted, followed by a structured thematic analysis using a grounded theory approach. Quantitative data consisted of surveys of violence exposure and attitudes toward patient aggression and management.

Data saturation was reached with 57 participants. Violence exposure was higher for technicians, nurses, and officers. Conflicting priorities and management challenges occurred due to four main interconnected elements: perceived complex patient motivations; a patient care paradox between professional duty and personal safety; discordant interprofessional dynamics mitigated by respect and trust; and logistical challenges impeding care delivery and long-term outcomes.

Using a systems approach, five interconnected levels of ED agitated patient care delivery were identified: patient, staff, team, ED microsystem, and health care macrosystem. These care dimensions were synthesized to form a novel patient safety-based framework that can help guide future research, practice, and policy.