Patient Violence Incidence Rates

Department of State Hospitals (DSH)-wide Violence Data Annual Rates of Assault from 2010-2020 for the following groups: Patient Assault (A2), Staff Assault (A4).

A2 - Patient physical assaults are committed by another patient. Formally defined as “Aggressive Act to Another Patient - Physical: Hitting, pushing, kicking or similar acts directed against another individual to cause potential or actual injury.” This does not include verbal assault, which is coded as “A1.”

A4 – Staff physical assaults are committed by a patient. Formally defined as “Aggressive Act to Staff - Physical: Hitting, pushing, kicking, or similar acts directed against a staff person that could cause potential or actual injury.” This does not include verbal assault, which is coded as “A3.”

Please Note:

1.Please note that it is an update to the previously published dataset with additional datasets.

2.Violence Rates value (in previous publication) can be calculated as a number per 1000 Patient Days. This number is easily interpreted and enables more accurate comparisons across time.

3.Prior to January 1, 2016 DSH-Atascadero coded an assault as Patient on Staff (A4) only when physical contact was made between patient and staff. All other Department of State Hospitals (DSH)- facilities code an assault as Patient on Staff (A4) either when physical contact was made or when physical contact was attempted. On January 1, 2016 Department of State Hospitals (DSH)--Atascadero began coding assaults in the same manner as all other Department of State Hospitals (DSH)- facilities.

4.Prior to January 1, 2016 Violence incidents were not captured specifically as Physical Contact made or Physical Contact Attempted.