Calculating the cost of workplace violence in hospitals

Background and Objectives: Workplace violence is a leading occupational hazard for hospital workers worldwide. However, no studies to date have examined the direct costs incurred by workplace violence in general hospital settings. The aim of this study was to develop methodology for calculating costs resulting from violence directed towards hospital employees.

Methods: The study was conducted within a metropolitan hospital system with 7 hospitals, over 15,000 employees and a system-wide database for reporting workplace violence events. Incidents for a 30-month period were studied for their association to injury rate costs using loss time claims. Total direct costs were calculated as the total amount currently paid in addition to future cost estimates by a third party insurance administrator. Rates were compared across system hospitals and across type of work unit (e.g. Emergency, Surgery, Acute Care Nursing). Results: A total of 842 worker-to-worker and patient-to-worker violent events were reported by employees during this period, representing an overall rate of 3.50 incidents per 100 full time employees (FTEs). Based on lost time claims, the total costs for workplace violence during this period were $505,480. The overall rate of cost was $2,380 per 100 FTEs. The overall rate of cost ranged from $961 to $4,973/100 FTES across hospitals and from $34 to $43,075/100 FTEs across type of work unit.

Conclusions: Cost information may offer additional indications of where to focus intervention activities when examined with workplace violence rates. Injury and lost time data make it possible to calculate direct costs of workplace violence.