Violence against health workers in Family Medicine Centers

Abstract

BackgroundHealth care violence is a significant worldwide problem with negative consequences on both the safety and well-being of health care workers as well as workplace activities. Reports examining health care violence in Saudi Arabia are limited and the results are conflicting.ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence and determine the demographic and occupational characteristics associated with workplace violence in primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional study included 270 health care workers in 12 family medicine centers in Riyadh during November and December 2014. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to estimate the frequency, timing, causes, reactions, and consequences of workplace violence plus participants’ demographic and occupational data.ResultsA total 123 health care workers (45.6%) experienced some kind of violence over 12 months prior to the study. These included physical (6.5%) and nonphysical violence (99.2%), including verbal violence (94.3%) and intimidation (22.0%). Offenders were patients (71.5%) in the majority of cases, companions (20.3%), or both (3.3%). Almost half (48.0%) of health care workers who experienced violence did nothing, 38.2% actively reported the event, and 13.8% consulted a colleague. A significant association of workplace violence was found with working multiple shifts, evening or night shift, and lack of an encouraging environment to report violence.ConclusionWorkplace violence is still a significant problem in primary care centers. The high frequency of violence together with underreporting may indicate the inefficiency of the current safety program. More safety programs and training activities for health care workers, efficient reporting system, and zero tolerance policies need to be implemented to minimize workplace violence against health workers.

Psychosocial risks of relief professionals: violence in pre-hospital settings

“…More than half of the sample reported having received official reports of violence episodes, but they believe it does not represent the true extent of the problem. According to scientific evidence, violence is acknowledged as an existing phenomenon, but it still is little reported by professionals (Al-Turki et al, 2016;Lima & Sousa, 2015). Although the incidence of physical violence is low (Al-Turki et al, 2016;Xing et al, 2016;AESST, 2003), one must consider that 4% of the entire working population has already experienced a physical violence episode, which must be validated due to its severity (AESST, 2003).…”

“…According to scientific evidence, violence is acknowledged as an existing phenomenon, but it still is little reported by professionals (Al-Turki et al, 2016;Lima & Sousa, 2015). Although the incidence of physical violence is low (Al-Turki et al, 2016;Xing et al, 2016;AESST, 2003), one must consider that 4% of the entire working population has already experienced a physical violence episode, which must be validated due to its severity (AESST, 2003). When the chief officers were questioned about the importance of conducting a national study on the types of violence, more than half of them considered that, although physical violence remains scarce over the years, it would be highly relevant to know the extent of the phenomenon.…”

“…Exposure to these events can lead to healthcare quality and safety risks, reduce professionals' income, and, sometimes, cause work withdrawal (OIT, 2002). Scientific evidence shows that, over the course of a career, the majority of professionals (doctors, nurses, EMS technicians, firefighters) was a victim of violence or attempt of violence (Al-Turki, Afify, & AlAteeq, 2016;Bigham et al, 2014;Deniz et al, 2016;Mroczek, Mormul, Kotwas, Szkup, & Kurpas, 2014;Petzäll et al, 2011). The undervaluing and underreporting eventually hide the true extent of this problem and, as a result, the implementation of mitigation measures (Al-Turki et al, 2016).…”

“…Scientific evidence shows that, over the course of a career, the majority of professionals (doctors, nurses, EMS technicians, firefighters) was a victim of violence or attempt of violence (Al-Turki, Afify, & AlAteeq, 2016;Bigham et al, 2014;Deniz et al, 2016;Mroczek, Mormul, Kotwas, Szkup, & Kurpas, 2014;Petzäll et al, 2011). The undervaluing and underreporting eventually hide the true extent of this problem and, as a result, the implementation of mitigation measures (Al-Turki et al, 2016). There is no simple solution to deal with this issue, but the need to construct measures to minimize its impact is known (Al-Turki et al, 2016;Xing et al, 2016).…”

“…The undervaluing and underreporting eventually hide the true extent of this problem and, as a result, the implementation of mitigation measures (Al-Turki et al, 2016). There is no simple solution to deal with this issue, but the need to construct measures to minimize its impact is known (Al-Turki et al, 2016;Xing et al, 2016). Psychosocial risks became a new challenge for the occupational safety and health of institutions.…”