VEST™ – Violent Event Severity Tool
VEST™
Standardized Reporting of Workplace Violence Severity
An EHR-embedded tool for consistent documentation of violent event types and severities, supporting monitoring, prevention, and regulatory requirements in healthcare settings.
Product Overview:
Violent Event Severity Tool (VEST™) is a clinically validated companion tool that allows standardized easy collection and measurement of the various types and severities of violent events in compliance with Joint Commission and government-agency requirements, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Captures six types of workplace violence
Applies four standardized severity levels to most event types
Why Healthcare Needs Standardized Reporting
Why Consistent Violence Reporting Matters in Healthcare
Workplace violence against healthcare staff is common and frequently underreported, especially lower-severity events.
Inconsistent definitions and reporting processes make it difficult to assess risk and evaluate prevention programs.
Many staff are unsure what should be reported, leading to incomplete or delayed documentation.
Regulatory bodies increasingly expect ongoing monitoring and analysis, not just incident response.
What VEST Does
- Standardizes Event Classification
Provides clear, consistent definitions for multiple types of workplace violence. - Captures Severity, Not Just Occurrence
Applies a graded severity scale, allowing organizations to understand not only if violence occurred, but how serious it was. - Reduces Reporting Barriers
Designed to be quick and intuitive, helping staff document events without complex or time-consuming workflows. - Supports Monitoring and Prevention
Creates consistent data that can be analyzed over time to identify patterns, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
Validated for Usability and Relevance
- In a study involving healthcare professionals, most participants reported VEST as easy to use, relevant, and useful.
- Reporting rates increased as event severity increased, supporting the validity of the severity grading approach.
- Lower-severity events were substantially less likely to be reported without standardized definitions, highlighting the need for tools like VEST.
Full study details and publications are available in our Evidence & Publications section.
How VEST Works in Practice
- A workplace violence event occurs
- Staff identify the event type
- Severity is graded using standardized definitions
- The event is documented consistently
- Data supports monitoring, analysis, and prevention efforts
Designed to Support Workplace Violence Prevention Programs
Aligns with expectations for ongoing monitoring and reporting
Supports structured review of workplace violence trends
Enables consistent internal analysis over time
VEST™ is supported by peer-reviewed clinical research on standardized reporting of workplace violence severity in healthcare.
