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Healthcare Workers, Facilities Remain at High Risk as Targets for Violence

New ISMIE violence prevention toolkit offers a variety of resources to help

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is warning that threats to healthcare professionals and facilities are likely to remain elevated because of divisive cultural issues, such as abortion, gender-related care and lingering debates caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeland Security’s new briefing memo listed some of these social and legal issues that are increasing the healthcare sector’s exposure as a potential target for attacks.
 
As physicians and clinicians cope with this difficult reality, ISMIE remains committed to providing guidance and support. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to preventing and/or defusing violence in the healthcare setting whether from angry patients or their families or targeted attacks by outside entities. Instead, strategies must be designed to meet the needs of healthcare professionals, patients and staff at any given medical practice or facility.
 
ISMIE has created a violence prevention toolkit to help prevent violence in healthcare settings, which includes these resources:  
  • Printable templates that you can brand, such as a “No violence tolerated” poster
  • A sample patient code of conduct
  • “Quick guides” covering de-escalation strategies and basic safety tips on recognizing the warning signs

There are also links to relevant ISMIE courses and resources on the topic, as well as reputable external sources.

For questions and support regarding the prevention of violence in the healthcare setting, please contact the Risk Management Division by email.
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