Understanding Best Practices in Implementation of Behavioral Emergency Response Teams Through a Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Healthcare providers face risks of physical/emotional abuse from patients and visitors, leading to decreased job satisfaction and high turnover.
• Workplace violence negatively impacts staff morale, patient outcomes, and necessitates increased use of patient restraints.
• Behavioral Emergency Response Teams (BERTs) demonstrate effectiveness in mitigating workplace assaults and improving staff satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review best practices and limitations of BERT implementation in adult hospital settings.
• To guide future adoption of BERTs in academic medical centers.
• To optimize behavioral emergency response strategies for improved patient and staff safety.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review of literature from 2000-2021 was conducted.
• Databases searched included PubMed, Tisch Library, and Jumbo Search.
• Article screening followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines for relevance to BERT implementation.

Main Results:

• BERTs commonly utilize trained medical staff, de-escalation techniques, and staff education.
• Proactive screening protocols for high-risk patients and team-based approaches are frequent BERT components.
• Interventions focus on managing disruptive patient behavior and supporting staff.

Conclusions:

• BERTs effectively reduce staff assaults and enhance job satisfaction.
• Proactive identification of high-risk patients combined with team-based responses minimizes physical restraints.
• Academic medical centers can improve care quality by implementing BERTs to increase staff satisfaction and reduce restraint use.