Repeated assaults by patients in VA hospital and clinic settings

Objective: The study aim was to determine the prevalence of repeated assaul ts on staff and other patients and characteristics of patients who commit r epeated assaults in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Methods: Patients in VA medical centers and freestanding outpatient clinics who committed two or more assaults in fiscal years 1995 and 1996 were identified through a survey of facility quality or risk mana gers. For each repeatedly assaultive patient, structured information, inclu ding incident reports, was obtained for all assault occasions. Results: A t otal of 153 VA facilities responded, for a response rate of 99 percent. The survey identified 8,968 incidents of repeated assault by 2,233 patients, f or a mean of 4.02 assaults per patient in the two-year study period. In 92 percent of the incidents, the assaultive patient had a primary or secondary psychiatric diagnosis. The mean age of the repeat assaulters was 62 years. Ninety-eight percent of the repeat assaulters were male, and 76.6 percent were Caucasian. At least 16 percent of the assaulters, 22 percent of the pa tients assaulted, and 20 percent of the staff assaulted required medical at tention for injuries, which, along with the number of lost work days, indic ates that repeated assaults are costly. Conclusions: Repeatedly assaultive patients represent major challenges to their own safety as well as to that of other patients and staff. Identifying patients at risk for repeated assa ults and developing intervention strategies is critically important for ens uring the provision of health care to the vulnerable population of assaulti ve patients.