Workplace violence against Chinese licensed doctors: a cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Public Health Policy
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Workplace violence (WPV) against licensed doctors in China persists despite policy interventions.
• Understanding the prevalence and influencing factors of WPV is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of WPV against licensed doctors in China.
• To identify sociodemographic and occupational factors associated with WPV.
• To propose responsive measures for WPV prevention and control.

Main Methods:

• A purposive sampling method was used for the online Chinese Physician Practice Survey.
• Data were collected from January 2022 to June 2022, covering 74,305 licensed doctors.
• Survey included sociodemographic characteristics, occupational details, WPV prevalence, and perceived countermeasures.

Main Results:

• 44.88% of doctors reported experiencing WPV, predominantly non-physical violence (89.91%).
• Younger age, single marital status, higher education (Master's degree), and sub-senior professional titles were identified as risk factors.
• WPV was more common in provincial capitals, public hospitals, and specific departments like internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, emergency, and mental health.

Conclusions:

• Despite policy implementation, WPV remains a significant issue for doctors in China.
• Strengthening crackdowns on criminal activities and enacting specific legal provisions are recommended.
• Targeted interventions are needed, considering the identified risk factors and high-risk settings.