Experiences of occupational violence in Australian urban general practice: a cross‐sectional study of GPs

Abstract

Objective: To establish the prevalence and characteristics of occupational violence in Australian urban general practice, and examine practitioner correlates of violence. Design, setting and participants: Cross‐sectional questionnaire survey mailed to all members (n = 1085) of three urban divisions of general practice in New South Wales in August and September 2004. The three divisions were chosen to provide a range of socioeconomic status (SES) demographics. Main outcome measures: Occupational violence towards general practitioners during the previous 12 months. Results: 528 GPs returned questionnaires (49% response rate). Of these, 63.7% had experienced violence in the previous year. The most common forms of violence were “low level” violence — verbal abuse (42.1%), property damage/theft (28.6%) and threats (23.1%). A smaller proportion of GPs had experienced “high level” violence, such as sexual harassment (9.3%) and physical abuse (2.7%). On univariate analysis, violence was significantly more likely towards female GPs (P < 0.001), less experienced GPs (P = 0.003) and GPs working in a lower SES status area (P < 0.001), and among practice populations encompassing greater social disadvantage (P = 0.006), mental health problems (P < 0.001), and drug‐ and alcohol‐related problems (P < 0.001). Experience of violence was greater for younger GPs (P = 0.005) and those providing after‐hours care (P = 0.033 for after‐hours home visits). On multivariate analysis, a significant association persisted between high level violence and lower SES area (odds ratio [OR], 2.86), being female (OR, 5.87), having practice populations with more drug‐related problems (OR, 5.77), and providing home visits during business hours (OR, 4.76). More experienced GPs encountered less violence (OR, 0.77) for every additional 5 years of practice. Conclusion: Occupational violence is a considerable problem in Australian urban general practice. Formal education programs in preventing and managing violence would be appropriate for GPs and doctors‐in‐training.

Psychiatry out-of-hours: a focus group study of GPs' experiences in Norwegian casualty clinics

“…Emergency medicine and psychiatry have been singled out as high risk areas for experiencing work-related violence [32,33]. Reported prevalence of experienced violence among GPs ranges from 21% to 83% depending on methodology and geographical area studied [34-41]. The apprehension about work-related violence has been found to be particularly high in out-of-hours services [31,42-44].…”

Concern about Workplace Violence and Its Risk Factors in Chinese Township Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Health professionals in the UK, especially general practitioners (GPs), are consistently at risk of WPV [12], with around 10%–11% of GPs reportedly experiencing assault, 5% threats with a weapon, and 25%–59% verbal abuse [13,14,15]. Additionally, 63.7% of sampled Australian GPs had experienced some violence at work [16]. Research has identified a number of risk factors of WPV.…”

“…Research has identified a number of risk factors of WPV. For instance, Magin et al reported that GPs who are female and who have fewer years of experience have a higher likelihood of violence [16]. In addition, nursing is also a high-risk occupation for violent incidents in many countries.…”

Contribution of violence to health inequalities in England: demographics and trends in emergency hospital admissions for assault

“…Consequently, violence not only impacts on the health of victims and perpetrators but also undermines efforts to improve health by increasing outdoor exercise and promoting social cohesion. Moreover, the ability for services to deliver support in communities is eroded by violence against visiting health personnel,11 and even staff in general practices, emergency units and hospital settings are at risk of violence by patients and their relatives 12 13…”