This transcript has been edited for clarity.
This is Dr Mark Lewis for Medscape Oncology. This month, I want to tackle the difficult subject of violence toward healthcare workers. There's a reason this is top of mind for me in my practice, but I want to start by acknowledging that this has been a much larger issue for our profession and one that has been growing for a number of years now.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that medical professionals are fivefold more likely than members of other industries to suffer workplace violence. They also estimate that that rate doubled between 2011 and 2018. I think that range is important because it proves this was a problem, and a crescendoing problem, even before COVID.
Another thing I think is relevant is to look at where in the healthcare system are these attacks most likely. In the emergency room, ER staff have seen hostility toward them rise by at least 25% over the past several years. Some of the seeds of mistrust that were sown between the general public and the scientific and medical communities around the pandemic. I think there's some explanation there for why that might be a particular crucible.
COMMENTARY
Healthcare Violence: Doctors and Nurses Are Bearing the Brunt of Business Pressures
Mark A. Lewis, MD
DisclosuresJanuary 05, 2024
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
This is Dr Mark Lewis for Medscape Oncology. This month, I want to tackle the difficult subject of violence toward healthcare workers. There's a reason this is top of mind for me in my practice, but I want to start by acknowledging that this has been a much larger issue for our profession and one that has been growing for a number of years now.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that medical professionals are fivefold more likely than members of other industries to suffer workplace violence. They also estimate that that rate doubled between 2011 and 2018. I think that range is important because it proves this was a problem, and a crescendoing problem, even before COVID.
Another thing I think is relevant is to look at where in the healthcare system are these attacks most likely. In the emergency room, ER staff have seen hostility toward them rise by at least 25% over the past several years. Some of the seeds of mistrust that were sown between the general public and the scientific and medical communities around the pandemic. I think there's some explanation there for why that might be a particular crucible.
Medscape Oncology © 2024
Cite this: Healthcare Violence: Doctors and Nurses Are Bearing the Brunt of Business Pressures - Medscape - Jan 05, 2024.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author
Mark A. Lewis, MD
Director, Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah
Disclosure: Mark A. Lewis, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.