Violence against healthcare workers

Abstract

Violence against healthcare workers (HW) is a fundamental rights issue and a public health problem. Globally two-thirds of HW have experienced violence, half of them experiencing non-physical violence and nearly a quarter being exposed to physical violence. Physicians and nurses are at greater violence risk, and the most common locations where incidents occur are emergency rooms and psychiatric units.

This problem is multifactorial, and therefore, measures to prevent or mitigate violence must englobe factors and temporal phases of the event. Evidence shows that integrated guidelines with articulated feedback can effectively reduce violence. The 2018 MINSAL standard for prevention and mitigation of violence is a step in this direction. However, there is currently not public record of the implementation of this standard, nor is there a national public policy coordinating these efforts with a focus on prevention management and continuous feedback.

Moving forward the perspective, in addition to quantifying the problem and identifying its causes in Chile, it is necessary to address the challenge of developing a national policy for the prevention of violence against HW. Such policy should aim to provide a comprehensive framework that incorporates feedback mechanisms, ensuring continuous improvement in the prevention and management of violence incidents.