[Violence against physicians in Germany]

Violence against healthcare workers and physicians poses a significant occupational risk and can have serious implications for the health of both physicians and patients as well as social and economic repercussions. Previous studies on violence against health professionals focused on the different medical specialties. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of violence against physicians in general.

In an anonymous online survey, physicians and dentists were asked about their personal experiences with violence in a workplace setting. A link to a structured questionnaire was distributed via participating medical associations, and data were collected between October 2021 and January 2022. The analysis included only fully completed questionnaires from respondents currently working in the profession. Data analysis was conducted using the statistical software "R."

A total of 1,751 questionnaires was evaluated; 25.97% of respondents reported personal experiences with physical violence, 12.51% reported sexual abuse and 78.47% verbal abuse. Disciplines such as psychiatry, internal medicine, and anesthesiology were particularly affected. Perpetrators were predominantly patients or their relatives. Female participants were significantly more often affected by violence than male participants. Severe physical assaults were mainly reported from psychiatric and emergency medical settings.

Although the study represents only a limited segment of the medical profession in Germany, experiences of violence in the healthcare setting, in particular amongst physicians, have become commonplace and affect nearly all medical specialties. The results of our study provide a comprehensive overview of those affected and highlight the urgent need for targeted protective measures, systematic documentation, and discipline-specific prevention strategies in medical care.