Health Systems Address the Burden of Violence

Health systems are regularly confronted by the consequences of violence and can play key roles in preventing the death and injury resulting from it, according to an article in the October Health Affairs. In 2017 alone, more than 2 million emergency department visits resulted from violence, and a high percentage of those affected were uninsured or underinsured. Additionally, 7.8 per 10,000 health care and social service workers experience violent injuries in the workplace each year, roughly four times the injury rate for other private sector workers. “The consequences to health systems include costs from disability and absenteeism, staff turnover, and medical care and indemnity, as well as a loss in productivity,” the authors write. They describe at length how providers can prevent violence through workplace, workforce and community interventions. The authors point readers seeking prevention programs to the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals Against Violence resource center and urge health care entities to “take the societal perspective” when analyzing the cost-effectiveness of violence interventions. The article is part of an entire issue dedicated to violence and health.