Physicians as violence prevention activists--a qualitative study

Few studies have examined the challenges facing physician activists: health care providers who engage in unpaid, non-clinical work to effect change in social issues pertaining to public health. We conducted focus groups with 19 health care providers active in violence prevention; data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Five themes emerged: (1) personal experience had generated participants' activism; (2) physicians believed they were uniquely qualified as violence prevention activists; (3) violence prevention inside the health care setting often overshadowed outside activism; (4) they feared being overwhelmed by demands of activism; and (5) they felt isolated and valued networking, especially locally, to relieve isolation. Findings illustrate the complex demands of violence prevention work on today's busy physicians.