Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Data Center

Data Drives Emphasis on Emergency Preparedness

Essential resources and data can help healthcare facilities prepare for emergencies such as workplace violence, cyberattacks, and natural disasters.

Workplace Violence in Healthcare

Workplace violence is a significant concern in the healthcare sector, affecting the safety and well-being of healthcare professionals. Recent data underscores the prevalence and severity of this issue:

Nonfatal Incidents: In 2020, approximately 20,050 workers in the private industry experienced trauma from nonfatal workplace violence incidents requiring days away from work. Notably, 76% of these victims were employed in the healthcare and social assistance industry. [source: CDC]

Fatal Incidents: Between 2011 and 2018, there were 156 workplace homicides involving private healthcare workers in the United States, averaging about 20 deaths per year. [source: Bureau of Labor Statistics]

Incident Rates: In 2020, the incidence rate for injuries resulting from assaults and violent acts by others was 10.3 per 10,000 full-time workers in the healthcare and social assistance sector. This rate was notably higher for workers in nursing and personal care facilities, at 21.8 per 10,000 full-time workers. [source CDC]

Types of Violence: A study involving 10,821 healthcare workers found that 1.2% experienced workplace violence, with 71.9% of these incidents being verbal and 28.1% physical. Physicians accounted for 62.3% of these cases, nurses for 20%, and medical secretaries for 7.4%. The majority of incidents occurred in outpatient clinics (34.8%) and emergency departments (25.9%). [source PMC]

Gender Disparities: Among workers who experienced trauma from workplace violence in 2020, 73% were female, and 62% were aged between 25-54. [source: CDC]

Case Reports: Prevention Strategies That Have Worked

A security screening system in a Detroit hospital included stationary metal detectors supplemented by hand-held units. The system prevented the entry of 33 handguns, 1,324 knives, and 97 mace-type sprays during a 6-month period.
A violence reporting program in the Portland, Oregon, VA Medical Center identified patients with a history of violence in a computerized database.* The program helped reduce the number of all violent attacks by 91.6% by alerting staff to take additional safety measures when serving these patients.
A system restricting movement of visitors in a New York City hospital used identification badges and color-coded passes to limit each visitor to a spe cific floor. The hospital also enforced the limit of two visitors at a time per patient. Over 18 months, these actions reduced the number of reported violent crimes by 65%.

*Health information and the electronic recording of this information must comply with applicable Federal standards on privacy under Titles 42 and 45 of the U.S. Code. [Source: Violence Occupational Hazards in Hospitals | NIOSH | CDC]