Characteristics and factors associated with violence against physicians in emergency services at health care facilities in Lima, Peru

Vásquez-Alva R.; Morales-Soto N.R.; Zamora-Gonzales P.L.; Ruiz-Arias R.A.; Zamora-Chávez S.C.; Tonohuye J.C.S. · Anales de la Facultad de Medicina (2025) · DOI: 10.15381/anales.v86i4.31082

Resumen

Introduction. Violence against physicians in emergency departments is a growing and underreported problem, with repercussions on quality of care and occupational health. Objective. To determine the factors associated with violence against physicians in the emergency departments of hospitals in Lima, Peru. Methods. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 35 emergency departments of public, private, and military/police hospitals. A validated questionnaire was applied to 491 physicians; the response rate was 70.5%. Sociodemographic and occupational variables and their relationship with the experience of violence were analyzed using the chi-square test (p<0.005). Results. Among respondents, 38.4% were women, with a mean age of 43.4 years. A total of 72.3% reported having experienced some type of violence, most frequently verbal aggression (85.6%). The main aggressors were patients’ relatives (78.8%), predominantly in the initial care area (56%). Prolonged waiting time was identified as the main trigger (44.8%). Institutional security was perceived as ineffective by 39.6%, and only 6.4% reported the incidents. No statistically significant associations were found between sociodemographic or occupational characteristics and the experience of violence. Conclusions. A high prevalence of violence against physicians was identified in emergency departments in Lima, with no association with individual or occupational factors, highlighting the need to strengthen institutional prevention and response protocols. © (2024), (). All Rights Reserved.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal