Study Offers Roadmap to Navigate Police Presence in the ER

Three strategies can protect survivors of violence while allowing effective police investigations.

Researchers from MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown Law published these findings in JAMA Network Open.

Police visit emergency rooms often. Without clear rules, their presence can stress survivors of violence and disrupt patient care. It can also confuse staff and slow investigations.

Researchers learned from MedStar Washington’s Community Violence Intervention Program, or CVIP. CVIP helps people heal after violence and connect with support.

They spoke with CVIP staff, survivors, and D.C. police officers from 2020 to 2023. These conversations showed what works best in a busy ER.

The findings point to three key strategies to better manage police presence in ERs:

• Create clear policies and process for police requests. This helps officers get the information they need and keep patients safe as they recover.
• Make roles clear for staff and police. Clear trauma-informed training and policies help staff set limits, protect patients, and improve police interactions.
• Bring survivor advocates into the ER. Advocates help protect patient rights and support families while police gather information.

Senior study author Erin C. Hall, MD, MPH, is a trauma surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

"When everyone in the ER works together, we can protect survivors and still allow police to do their jobs. These are simple steps hospitals can use today to improve patient-police interactions."

Dr. Hall thanked Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll and D.C. Police for their partnership.

"Their teamwork helped us create real and practical solutions to a challenging problem.”

Co-author Prashasti Bhatnagar, JD, MPH, is a law fellow at the Urban Institute-Georgetown Law Project on Health Equity and the Law.

“We spoke with many people who see this work from different perspectives. They agreed on patient-centered and trauma-informed strategies that help hospitals and police meet their responsibilities while prioritizing safety, dignity, and healing in the ER.”

MedStar Washington Hospital Center started CVIP in 2017. The program helps people hurt by violence heal and feel stable again. Violence intervention specialists offer financial help, job training, education resources, and legal services. These services help survivors get back on their feet and find a path away from violence.

MedStar Washington is the largest and busiest hospital in the nation’s capital. It operates a Level I Trauma Center, which treats the most serious injuries. The hospital is well-positioned to help ERs work better with police and strengthen trauma informed care for survivors.