Introducing a Digital Occupational Violence Risk Assessment Tool Into an Emergency Department: A Pilot Implementation Study.

INTRODUCTION: Occupational violence in emergency departments is prevalent and detrimental to staff and health services. There is an urgent call for solutions; accordingly, this study describes the implementation and early impacts of the digital Queensland Occupational Violence Patient Risk Assessment Tool (kwov-pro). METHODS: Since December 7, 2021, emergency nurses have been using the Queensland Occupational Violence Patient Risk Assessment Tool to assess 3 occupational violence risk factors in patients: aggression history, behaviors, and clinical presentation. Violence risk then is categorized as low (0 risk factors), moderate (1 risk factor), or high (2-3 risk factors). An important feature of this digital innovation is the alert and flagging system for high-risk patients. Underpinned by the Implementation Strategies for Evidence-Based Practice Guide, from November 2021 to March 2022 we progressively mobilized a range of strategies, including e-learning, implementation drivers, and regular communications. Early impacts measured were the percentage of nurses who completed their e-learning, the proportion of patients assessed using the Queensland Occupational Violence Patient Risk Assessment Tool, and the number of reported violent incidents in the emergency department. RESULTS: Overall, 149 of 195 (76%) of emergency nurses completed their e-learning. Further, adherence to Queensland Occupational Violence Patient Risk Assessment Tool was good, with 65% of patients assessed for risk of violence at least once. Since implementing the Queensland Occupational Violence Patient Risk Assessment Tool, there has been a progressive decrease in violent incidents reported in the emergency department. DISCUSSION: Using a combination of strategies, the Queensland Occupational Violence Patient Risk Assessment Tool was successfully implemented in the emergency department with the indication that it could reduce the number of incidents of occupational violence. The work herein provides a foundation for future translation and robust evaluation of the Queensland Occupational Violence Patient Risk Assessment Tool in emergency departments.

Validity and reliability of the novel three-item occupational violence patient risk assessment tool.

AIM: To develop and psychometrically test an occupational violence (OV) risk assessment tool in the emergency department (ED). DESIGN: Three studies were conducted in phases: content validity, predictive validity and inter-rater reliability from June 2019 to March 2021. METHODS: For content validity, ED end users (mainly nurses) were recruited to rate items that would appropriately assess for OV risk. Subsequently, a risk assessment tool was developed and tested for its predictive validity and inter-rater reliability. For predictive validity, triage notes of ED presentations in a month with the highest OV were assessed for presence of OV risk. Each presentation was then matched with events recorded in the OV incident register. Sensitivity and specificity values were calculated. For inter-rater reliability, two assessors-trained and untrained-independently assessed the triage notes for presence of OV risk. Cohen's kappa was calculated. RESULTS: Two rounds of content validity with a total of N = 81 end users led to the development of a three-domain tool that assesses for OV risk using aggression history, behavioural concerns (i.e., angry, clenched fist, demanding, threatening language or resisting care) and clinical presentation concerns (i.e., alcohol/drug intoxication and erratic cognition). Recommended risk ratings are low (score = 0 risk domain present), moderate (score = 1 risk domain present) and high (score = 2-3 risk domains present), with an area under the curve of 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.7-0.81, p < .01). Moderate risk rating had a 61% sensitivity and 91% specificity, whereas high risk rating had 37% sensitivity and 97% specificity. Inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.67 to 0.75 (p < .01), suggesting moderate agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The novel three-domain OV risk assessment tool was shown to be appropriate and relevant for application in EDs. The tool, developed through a rigorous content validity process, demonstrates acceptable predictive validity and inter-rater reliability. IMPACT: The developed tool is currently piloted in a single hospital ED, with a view to extend to inpatient settings and other hospitals.