Effects of a Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program on Posthospitalization Services: First-Year Experience

Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) effectively reduce recidivism and improve outcomes, but their impact on posthospitalization service utilization for patients with penetrating injuries is unclear.

The aim of this article is to evaluate the impact of an HVIP on posthospitalization service utilization among patients with penetrating injuries.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at our urban academic Level I trauma center in the Northeastern United States to assess posthospitalization service utilization, including inpatient rehabilitation and home health services, among patients with gunshot or stab wounds during the first year of HVIP implementation (October 2022-September 2023). Comparisons between the HVIP and non-HVIP groups were made using Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests. Multivariate logistic regression evaluated predictors of posthospitalization service utilization.

Of the 192 patients, 62 were HVIP, and 130 were non-HVIP. The HVIP patients were younger (31 vs. 35 years; p = .010) and more likely to be injured by gunfire (77.4% vs. 45.4%; p < .001), with a higher median Injury Severity Score (4 vs. 1; p = .029). Posthospitalization service utilization was significantly higher in HVIP patients (25.8% vs. 9.2%; p = .002). Predictors of posthospitalization service utilization included hospital admission (OR: 10.5, p = .033), Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 3.2, p = .035), and higher Injury Severity Score (OR: 1.2, p < .001). The HVIP involvement had a positive but nonsignificant association (OR: 2.5, p = .078).

Hospital-based violence intervention programs may increase posthospitalization service utilization and promote health equity for patients with penetrating injuries. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.