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Published on: October 27, 2015
[Murder of the doctor]
Liliana Lorettu1, Lorenzo Falchi1, Fabrizia L Nivoli1
1Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, AOU-Sassari, Università di Sassari.
Rivista Di Psichiatria
|September 30, 2015
Summary
Physician safety is a concern, as patient-related violence, including murders, occurs in clinical settings. Identifying risk factors like patient dissatisfaction, mental illness, and unsafe workplaces is crucial for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Medicine
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Criminology
Background:
- Physician safety is a critical concern in healthcare settings.
- Violence against healthcare professionals poses a significant risk.
- Understanding the dynamics of patient-to-physician violence is essential for developing preventive strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the risk factors associated with physicians being killed by patients.
- To analyze a series of homicides involving physicians in Italy.
- To identify specific dangerous situations and contributing elements in these violent events.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of clinical cases of doctors murdered by patients in Italy.
- Data collection spanned from 1988 to 2013.
- Analysis focused on identifying contextual factors and perpetrator characteristics.
Main Results:
- Eighteen Italian doctors were murdered by patients between 1988 and 2013.
- Key risk factors included patient dissatisfaction (7 cases), psychiatric illness (7 cases), stalking (1 case), and unsafe work environments (3 cases).
- Four primary categories of at-risk contexts were identified: doctor-dissatisfaction, mental illness, unsafe workplaces, and stalking.
Conclusions:
- The identified categories highlight specific dangerous situations for physicians.
- Recognizing these risk factors is crucial for implementing targeted preventive measures.
- Enhancing workplace safety and addressing patient-related grievances are vital for physician protection.
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