Risky Business. Interventions to Prevent Aggression Against Health Workers From Patients at Risk: An Integrative...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Violence against healthcare workers is a significant concern in inpatient settings.
• Existing strategies for managing aggressive patients lack robust evidence for effectiveness.
• Underreporting of violent events hinders practice change and improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify best practices for preventing patient-to-provider violence.
• To explore strategies for managing patients at risk for aggression in adult inpatient settings.
• To address the scarcity of evidence on violence prevention in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review was conducted using the Johns Hopkins Evidence-based Practice Model.
• Searched databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, JBI) from January 2019 to February 2023.
• Screened 4186 articles, with 14 meeting inclusion criteria for full-text review.

Main Results:

• Commonly used strategies include behavioral intervention teams, environmental changes, and communication plans.
• None of the reviewed strategies demonstrated significant decreases in workplace violence.
• Evidence for effective prevention of patient-on-provider violence is notably absent.

Conclusions:

• Health systems should implement globally recognized strategies to decrease healthcare violence.
• The lack of consistent evidence necessitates further research on violence mitigation.
• Further studies are needed to equip healthcare workers with effective patient management techniques.