The Aggressive Incidents Scale

logo for AIS-HARM

The Aggressive Incidents Scale (AIS) records aggression and violence involving patients using a common language to:

  • Improve documentation of aggression and violence
  • Improve communication based on reliable documentation
  • Inform and evaluate interventions
  • Monitor escalation
  • Foster discussion of risk
Aggressive Incidents Scale weekly total grid
Aggressive Incidents Scale calendar

The AIS uses a common language to describe and rate aggressive incidents

Incidents are recorded each day and a total is provided for each week and month. This creates a cumulative and graphic depiction of a patient’s record of aggression. From the monthly report for a patient, anyone can interpret the level of aggression experienced by the patient and whether there are patterns, including improvement or escalation.

The AIS may be used independently or in conjunction with the Hamilton Anatomy of Risk Management (HARM).

The AIS language is a two-part code. The first part is a scale (1-9) reflecting the severity of the incident. The second part is a letter reflecting whether staff intervened during the incident and the type of intervention that occurred.

The Companion Guide to the Aggressive Incidents Scale (AIS) and the Electronic Hamilton Anatomy of Risk Management (eHARM) is available on Kobo for purchase.