Reducing violence and aggression in A&E
There are many reasons and triggers for incidents of violence and aggression in A&E occurring. Staff, patients and other service users are usually emotionally tolerant, but feelings of anxiety, fear, pain and loss which are often associated with visiting A&E can reduce tolerance thresholds and people may become frustrated, violent or aggressive.
A typical patient experience is very good in terms of clinical care, but the experience of non-clinical services delivered can vary considerably. Creating a great patient experience requires a calm environment, access to relevant information and helpful services, and the ultimate result of delivering a great patient experience will be reduction in levels of violence and aggression.
Designers can help improve the A&E experience at all steps of the process, from arrival to departure, because they approach challenges from the perspective of the people affected, with the aim of identifying solutions in collaboration with staff and patients in A&E.
Click on the pictures below to find out more about design opportunities for improving the experience at each stage of the patient journey.
