Aggressive behaviour risk assessment tool for long-term care (ABRAT-L): Validation study

Abstract

This prospective cohort study was conducted to validate the usefulness of the Aggressive Behaviour Risk Assessment Tool for Long-Term Care (ABRAT-L) in predicting aggressive events. A total of 615 newly admitted residents at 22 long-term care homes in Canada were included. The risk of aggression was assessed using the six-item ABRAT-L within 24 hours of admission, and incident reports of aggressive events occurring within 30 days of admission were collected. Forty-seven residents out of 615 had one or more aggressive events (7.6%). The receiver operating characteristics analysis of ABRAT-L showed a good discriminant ability at the previously recommended cut-off score of 4, with satisfactory sensitivity and specificity. The usefulness of ABRAT-L in identifying potentially aggressive residents at the time of admission was confirmed. This validation study supports the adoption of a proactive risk assessment tool, ABRAT-L, as a part of routine admission assessments at long-term care homes.

Keywords: Aggression; Long-term care; Risk assessment; Sensitivity; Specificity.