(NBC News) – Allegations that go unreported and a lack of accountability for health care workers leave patients in the dark and increase the risk of abuse, research shows.

Violent crime in hospitals is up, according to a 2023 report from The Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that works to improve U.S. health care by accrediting and evaluating facilities.

Incidents of assault, rape, sexual assault and homicide — one category in the report — rose 77% over the past two years, it noted, citing figures that were self-reported by hospitals. (Read More)