Staging the HCR-20: Towards successful implementation of team-based structured professional judgement schemes

Abstract

Structured professional judgement risk management schemes such as the Historical, Clinical, Risk Management - 20 (HCR-20) can be described as clinical guidelines produced by a collaborative process between mental health clinicians and researchers. The purpose is to provide clinicians with a framework to guide interventions designed to manage specific risks such as violence against others. The use of evidence-based clinical methods, especially in a multidisciplinary setting, is now commonly considered a best-practice approach when managing violence and related risks. This article describes some of the practical implementation challenges that may arise when using schemes such as the HCR-20 in multidisciplinary team meetings.