2 November 2005
Victorian general practitioners experience physical, verbal and sexual abuse in the course of their work, Monash University research has revealed.
Doctors were also victims of intimidation, sexual harassment, property damage and theft but often did nothing in response to the violence, research fellow Ms Stella Koritsas, from Monash's Department of General Practice, said.
Ms Koritsas surveyed 211 Victorian doctors as part of a wider project looking at violence against primary health care professionals. Her preliminary findings mirrored research results in the US and the UK.
"Many of the doctors surveyed suffered apprehension, fear, stress, loss of trust and withdrawal," Ms Koritsas said. "And they felt their responses reduced their effectiveness in subsequent consultations due to difficulties concentrating, inability to listen to patients, reluctance to be in a closed space like a consulting room, and apprehension and fear.
"They also kept thinking about the violent event during consultations, and experienced physical reactions such as having the shakes or crying for hours, days or even months."
She said such reactions were both normal stress responses and prolonged stress responses consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"It is important the research continues and that regulatory bodies help medical practices adopt policies to prevent violence. "Strategies need to be developed to prevent work-related violence through redesigning practices such as having the doctors sitting close to the door, having designated safe escape rooms and duress alarms.
"Doctors should also attend training that raises awareness about the risks of violence, enhances violence prevention knowledge, and provides skills to recognise early warning signs of aggressive behaviour and learn how to diffuse difficult encounters.
"Obviously there will always be potentially violent patients, so practices should try to diminish the impact of violence by promoting relaxation techniques, using social support networks, and ensure counselling for the doctor after a violent incident," Ms Koritsas said.
Ms Stella Koritsas is available for media interviews on +61 3 9905 9201. For further information contact the Media Communications office on +61 3 9905 2085.
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