64% of medical professionals suffer abuse
64% of medical professionals are subjected to threats, coercion and insults. 34.4% have suffered threats and coercion on at least one occasion and 23.8% on numerous occasions. Similarly, 36.6% have been subjected to insults on at least one occasion.
Research following a study* by researchers at the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), has continued, to detail the type of centre, area, medical profession, age and gender of victims. Santiago Gascón, principal study author, said that a notable amount of less serious – but no less distressing incidents – was not reported. Only eight professionals reported events, because their physical injuries were serious; no one had actually reported threats or insults etc. The new data, he said, shows the true dimension of under-reported violence.
Among 1,845 study participants, averaging 41.8 years, 35.8% were men, 64.2% women, 47.5% nurses, 33.5% doctors, 7.9% administrators, 6.6% technicians and other professionals, 2.8% porters and 1.7% managers.
Psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drugs accounted for many events with offences very high in psychiatric and A&E units. 85% were generated by patients, but in A&E 27.3% of aggressors were people accompanying a patient.
Waiting time caused 58% of aggressive incidents; 15% resulted from disagreements over the issuing of a doctor’s certificate, whilst disputes over medication prescriptions provoked 10%.
* Study undertaken during 2005 (pub: 2006); further research published recently in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
01.05.2009
