ViSHWaS: Violence Study of Healthcare Workers and Systems—a global survey

Abstract

ObjectiveTo provide insights into the nature, risk factors, impact and existing measures for reporting and preventing violence in the healthcare system. The under-reporting of violence against healthcare workers (HCWs) globally highlights the need for increased public awareness and education.MethodsThe Violence Study of Healthcare Workers and Systems study used a survey questionnaire created using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) forms and distributed from 6 June to 9 August 2022. Logistic regression analysis evaluated violence predictors, including gender, age, years of experience, institution type, respondent profession and night shift frequency. A χ2test was performed to determine the association between gender and different violence forms.ResultsA total of 5405 responses from 79 countries were analysed. India, the USA and Venezuela were the top three contributors. Female respondents comprised 53%. The majority (45%) fell within the 26–35 age group. Medical students (21%), consultants (20%), residents/fellows (15%) and nurses (10%) constituted highest responders. Nearly 55% HCWs reported firsthand violence experience, and 16% reported violence against their colleagues. Perpetrators were identified as patients or family members in over 50% of cases, while supervisor-incited violence accounted for 16%. Around 80% stated that violence incidence either remained constant or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among HCWs who experienced violence, 55% felt less motivated or more dissatisfied with their jobs afterward, and 25% expressed willingness to quit. Univariate analysis revealed that HCWs aged 26–65 years, nurses, physicians, ancillary staff, those working in public settings, with >1 year of experience, and frequent night shift workers were at significantly higher risk of experiencing violence. These results remained significant in multivariate analysis, except for the 55–65 age group, which lost statistical significance.ConclusionThis global cross-sectional study highlights that a majority of HCWs have experienced violence, and the incidence either increased or remained the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in decreased job satisfaction.

Healthcare Workers: Heroes or Victims? Context of the Western World and Proposals to Prevent Violence

“…Hesketh et al [10] identified various types of violence perpetrated against healthcare workers in their study, including attempted assault, physical assault, verbal aggression (insults, humiliation, coercion), verbal sexual harassment, and physical sexual harassment [11]; however, it is noteworthy that the studies analyzed show a significantly lower reporting rate of assaults than the actual occurrence. The primary reason for this appears to be the fear of repercussions from patients and, ultimately, the reluctance to appear weak in the eyes of colleagues.…”

“…During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, as highlighted in the study by Banga et al, there was an increase in aggressions against healthcare workers in 2022 compared to previous years, especially compared to 2020 when access to healthcare facilities was limited due to the pandemic. This increase can be related to several factors [11]. It was noticed that with the decrease in direct contact between healthcare workers and patients or their relatives, the number of aggressions also significantly decreased.…”

Editorial: The brain in pain: a multidimensional approach

“…Pain empathy is a powerful means to improve interpersonal communication and prosocial behavior (see, e.g., Smith et al, 2020 ). The study by Li et al reveals ERP changes depending on the moral judgment given by the participant on the person experiencing pain, namely, smaller mean wave amplitude of positive 300 (P3) and late positive potential (LPP) for painful pictures of individuals deserving a low moral judgement, and vice versa for people deserving a high moral judgement; notably, the study puts these results in relationship with the issue of violence against healthcare operators, a reason of globally increasing alarm (Banga et al, 2023 ).…”

Violence Against Healthcare Workers: ViSHWaS a Cross-Sectional Sub-analysis across the Kenya Region

“…The Violence Study of Healthcare Workers and Systems (ViSHWaS) utilized a web-based global cross-sectional survey to collect data from healthcare professionals across Kenya. While the original ViSHWAS study encompassed information from over 105 countries, this subgroup analysis delves speci cally into data sourced from Kenya within the overarching global dataset [15].…”