General practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.

The objective of this study was to record changes made by a wide body of general practices due to experience of, or concerns over, aggression. The study involved a retrospective survey of all general practitioners (GPs) in the West Midlands Health Authority region using a piloted postal questionnair...

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Main Author: Hobbs, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1994
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author Hobbs, R
author_facet Hobbs, R
author_sort Hobbs, R
collection OXFORD
description The objective of this study was to record changes made by a wide body of general practices due to experience of, or concerns over, aggression. The study involved a retrospective survey of all general practitioners (GPs) in the West Midlands Health Authority region using a piloted postal questionnaire. A total of 1093 (40.6%) doctors responded out of a potential 2694. Seven-hundred and ninety-four (72.7%) of doctors had not made changes due to fears over aggression. The other 299 doctors listed 68 different types of change to practice (premises, process) or to motivation because of fears of abuse. These changes included striking off more patients, recorded by 128 (11.7%); discussing the problem at practice meetings, by 122 (11.2%); installing panic buttons, by 94 (8.6%) and increasing the use of deputizing service, by 76 (7%). Seventy-three (6.7%) doctors felt less committed to medicine and 40 (3.7%) felt less confident as doctors, feelings that were significantly more likely to be volunteered by women and Asian trained practitioners. Unfortunately, most of the changes, such as putting up security screens or prescribing on demand, were potentially likely to be counterproductive. This study therefore illustrates the need for more support and advice to practices on how to avoid and respond to aggression at work.
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spelling oxford-uuid:3cac120b-0d98-4fc3-b8d3-2f4765a76e5d2022-03-26T14:15:00ZGeneral practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3cac120b-0d98-4fc3-b8d3-2f4765a76e5dEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1994Hobbs, RThe objective of this study was to record changes made by a wide body of general practices due to experience of, or concerns over, aggression. The study involved a retrospective survey of all general practitioners (GPs) in the West Midlands Health Authority region using a piloted postal questionnaire. A total of 1093 (40.6%) doctors responded out of a potential 2694. Seven-hundred and ninety-four (72.7%) of doctors had not made changes due to fears over aggression. The other 299 doctors listed 68 different types of change to practice (premises, process) or to motivation because of fears of abuse. These changes included striking off more patients, recorded by 128 (11.7%); discussing the problem at practice meetings, by 122 (11.2%); installing panic buttons, by 94 (8.6%) and increasing the use of deputizing service, by 76 (7%). Seventy-three (6.7%) doctors felt less committed to medicine and 40 (3.7%) felt less confident as doctors, feelings that were significantly more likely to be volunteered by women and Asian trained practitioners. Unfortunately, most of the changes, such as putting up security screens or prescribing on demand, were potentially likely to be counterproductive. This study therefore illustrates the need for more support and advice to practices on how to avoid and respond to aggression at work.
spellingShingle Hobbs, R
General practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.
title General practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.
title_full General practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.
title_fullStr General practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.
title_full_unstemmed General practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.
title_short General practitioners' changes to practice due to aggression at work.
title_sort general practitioners changes to practice due to aggression at work
work_keys_str_mv AT hobbsr generalpractitionerschangestopracticeduetoaggressionatwork