Violent incident form (VIF)  - a practical instrument for the registration of violent incidents in the health care sector
Author(s): Judith Arnetz and Bengt Arnet                                                    Country: Sweden
Is the intervention sector specific?	Yes (mainly healthcare, social care)
Is the intervention usable with different enterprise sizes?	Yes
Is the intervention equally applicable to both genders?	Yes
Is the intervention based on theory?	No
Can the intervention approach be adapted/ tailored?	Yes
Does the intervention promote CSR and how?	VIF encourages employers and managers to address workplace violence and employee health and wellbeing.
Does the intervention promote social dialogue and how?	This intervention does not promote social dialogue.
Overview (including risk assessment and law – legal requirements etc.):   The violent incident form (VIF) is a practical instrument developed for the registration of all types of violent and threatening behaviour directed towards staff in the health care sector. The method is designed for implementation into the daily business routines of high-risk workplaces.   VIF includes a checklist of 20 items and summarises information pertinent to the incident such as time and place, details describing the aggressor, the circumstances, the actual incident, how the incident was handled, and the staff victim's injuries and/or reactions. Information concerning the VIF checklist is disseminated to all participating workplaces. Following a threatening violent incident the employee is required to fill in the VIF.   VIF can be viewed as a user-friendly approach, as the implementation of the method requires no training and is easy to use. The method aims to minimise the stigma associated with violence, and encourages employees to act and speak out after the incident; thereby, building social cooperation in the workplace.
Implementation: VIF was implemented as a working tool at 47 health care workplaces in Stockholm, Sweden. The workplaces were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group.  The work sites encompassed a total of approximately 1500 health care workers. In the intervention workplaces, a structured feedback program, where the circumstances concerning registered incidents were discussed on a regular basis with the staff.
Practical applications: VIF has been found to be easily practically applicable at the enterprise level, as it has been designed to include a user-friendly process.
Innovative aspects:   Easy, simple and not time consuming method.
Evaluation (including process issues, outcomes and sustainability): A structured feedback programme that included regular discussions with staff involved in violent incidents registered at the workplace was implemented. A follow-up was carried out after one year to compare the amount of violent incidents reported, and to assess staff perceptions surrounding the year-long project.
Benefits (including cost effectiveness): The evaluation of VIF demonstrated the following benefits: (a) staff in the intervention work sites reported significantly more violent incidents than the control work sites during the one year; (b) the intervention group reported better awareness of risk situations, had increased knowledge on how to effectively handle risk situations, and how to deal with aggressive patients; and (c) intervention workplaces had better routines for managing violent incidents after the project than before. VIF was found to be a user-friendly method and tool.
References:   Arnetz J.(1998). The Violent Incident Form (VIF): a practical instrument for the registration of violent incidents in the health care workplace. Work and Stress , 12 (1), 17-28. (includes the VIF form)   Arnetz, J. & Arnetz B. (2000). Implementation and evaluation of a practical intervention programme for dealing with violence towards health care workers. Journal of Advanced Nursing 31(3), 668-680.
Comments:   If employees report all the violent incidents using the VIF, the method could yield rich information on the prevalence of work-related violence in a given workplace, hospital or ward. This information can then be used in planning of interventions for prevention and management of violent incidents.