Patient aggression causing workplace safety concerns for receptionists
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With incidents of workplace violence on the rise at health care facilities, researchers now say receptionists at general physician practices are also experiencing increased levels of patient aggression.
An article published Thursday in the open-access journal Family Medicine and Community Health says that patient aggression against receptionists is having an adverse effect on doctors’ offices, boosting workplace absenteeism and causing staff to leave the health care workforce in greater numbers.
The researchers reviewed data from Australia, England, Ireland, Spain and the United States, most of which appeared to show patient aggression toward receptionists rising in frequency since the 1970s.
Incidents of aggression included verbal abuse, hostility, and the use of derogatory insults including racist and sexist remarks. Some of the data showed acts of physical violence toward receptionists, although verbal abuse was more prevalent.
The article says many root causes of patient aggression toward receptionists arise from “avoidable operational factors,” including inefficient scheduling systems and difficulties in communicating with medical staff.
The researchers said patient aggression toward reception staff is a growing workplace safety concern for general physician practices and that evidence-based strategies are needed to help prevent, manage and mitigate such incidents and to improve working conditions.
