The data related to assaults on healthcare personnel are growing dramatically, exacerbated by nearly 3 years of the pandemic and increasingly palpable tension.
In Italy, in 2022, there were approximately 130,000 reports of assaults against healthcare personnel, although the actual number is likely much higher as many incidents go unreported to Health Authorities by the affected staff.
As one might expect, most of these critical events occur in the Emergency Department, which is considered the “frontline” of a hospital.
Typically, assaults are perpetrated by patients’ relatives and often target female nurses, to the extent that such incidents are almost perceived as a normal collateral consequence of the profession.
A study conducted in a well-known hospital in Milan revealed that, in 2021 alone, there were 78 reported cases of assault in the Emergency Department, half of which resulted in physical altercations with staff. It also emerged that Emergency Department personnel experience at least one physical or verbal assault weekly.
To address this delicate situation, which is unfortunately common in Italian healthcare facilities, there has even been speculation about deploying active police presence in triage areas.
How can we tackle the problem systematically?
How can we make Emergency Departments safer and more protective for the staff working there?
We believe that an integrated approach is necessary, starting with accurate information to caregivers about their loved ones’ conditions and extending to actual active protection of healthcare staff through specific and timely solutions.
TapMyLife has developed a solution specifically designed for Emergency Departments, featuring localized emergency call management for staff against the increasing incidents of assault, and patient location analysis through a wearable device associated with the triage code. This system provides real-time detection on a digital map of the facility and identifies potential uncontrolled situations.
To prevent tension and make Emergency Departments more efficient for anxious relatives waiting for their loved ones during the exhausting pre-admission hours, TapMyLife’s solution includes a dedicated app for caregivers. This app allows them to follow their loved one’s treatment with visual indications on their smartphones and automatic notifications, fully compliant with GDPR regulations via QR codes or personal PINs.
Emergency Departments will always remain a valuable “frontline” of Italian healthcare, but we strive to ensure they are not a confined trench where doctors and patients endure discomforting situations.
