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Several healthcare organizations have asked the Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in a letter to provide specific written guidance on appropriate emergency department (ED) signage that would notify patients of programs or policies regarding violence against healthcare workers. In previous interactions, the organizations say CMS discouraged this type of signage if the signs “could deter individuals from remaining for medical screening examinations and stabilizing treatment.” However, CMS didn’t clarify what type of sign or wording might be considered a deterrent, according to the letter. Hospitals want to post appropriate signage publicly in EDs to explain that threats and acts of violence against workers are not acceptable, consistent with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, and they note that in recent years, violent behavior by patients in EDs has escalated significantly. “Emergency clinicians, nurses, and other staff routinely experience physical assaults, verbal abuse, and threats on an almost daily basis while delivering care. As a result, many are reaching their breaking point and leaving a healthcare workforce that is already stretched distressingly thin,” the letter states.
No guesswork: Among the signatories are the American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Nurses Association, and others. Many health systems have individual violence prevention programs in place, but the hope is to set a standard for publicly posted signage that could be aligned with state survey agencies and accrediting organizations.