Emergency medicine (EM) residents often report abuse in the workplace, and patients and / or their family members are a frequent source of abuse, according to a study published online Aug. 19 in JAMA Network Open.
A STUDY ON THE ABUSE OF RESIDENTS
Michelle D. Lall, MD, of Emory University in Atlanta, and her colleagues examined the prevalence, types, and sources of perceived workplace abuse during training among MS residents in the United States and assessed the correlation between abuse and suicidal ideation.
A total of 8,162 MS residents were eligible. 94.1 percent answered at least one survey question and 79.7 percent completed the 35-item survey.
How many residents feel mistreated?
The researchers found that 45.1 percent of all participants reported having been exposed to some form of abuse in the workplace during the most recent academic year.
The patients and / or their families were identified as a frequent source of abuse: 58.7, 67.5, 85.2 and 69.1 percent reported gender discrimination. Racial discrimination, physical abuse and sexual harassment, respectively, by patients and / or family members.
Many had suicidal thoughts
Overall, 2.5 percent of residents reported suicidal thoughts occurred in the past year. With a similar prevalence by gender (2.4 percent for men and women) and race / ethnicity (2.4 and 2.7 percent for non-Hispanic white residents and residents of other races).
“Identifying and promoting best practices to minimize mistreatment in the workplace during residency can help optimize the career experience. As well as improving the personal and professional well-being of physicians throughout their lives, ”the authors write.
The mistreatment of medical residents in Mexico
Specialty clinical training in Mexico represents a fundamental stage of medical training. In addition to academic challenges, there are others of a labor nature and human training such as: patient care, work load and hours, administrative tasks, contact with suffering and death, and hospital hierarchy.
According to a research carried out by the UNAM, prior to 1980, student abuse had not been reported. Given that abuse during medical training was considered normal or necessary for their training. Subsequently, the residents began to demonstrate through different means, humiliation, rejection and dehumanization, which was associated with apathy and depression.
There is more abuse in surgical specialties than medical
The results of the survey showed that psychological and physical abuse were more frequent in surgical than medical specialties. As a consequence of the mistreatment, 89% of the residents reported burnout, 71% depression, 78% anxiety, and 58% poor patient care. The main perpetrators of the mistreatment were senior residents and base doctors.
According to the UNAM, mistreatment during residence is very frequent and affects the human rights and dignity of residents. They also reduce the learning capacity and efficiency of specialty medical education. In a country with high demand for health care that requires optimizing economic and human resources.
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