What Might a Good Compassionate Force Protocol Look Like?

This article focuses on uses of force in clinical settings after a triggering event-a behavioral or medical crisis-and considers how force should be implemented. The clinical stakes are high, as force can undermine therapeutic capacity in patient-clinician relationships, exacerbate moral distress, and erode trust. Yet they are rarely discussed. This article explores compassionate use of force rather than merely minimally harmful use of force and considers how and by whom force should be executed; the nature and scope of goals, motivations, and protocols that should guide caregivers who must implement force protocols; and what a good compassionate force protocol might look like.