Summary Workplace violence towards healthcare professionals is widespread and overlooked. Only 4 studies of aggression toward dentists have been published, none in the United States, with the prevalence of aggression ranging from 29% to 80%. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial estimate of patient aggression rates in dental practices in the United States. Methods The authors surveyed 98 dentists recruited from a dental school’s network of faculty and alumni. Participants completed a confidential online survey to assess whether they had experienced any of 21 specific types of aggressive behaviors from their patients. Results The prevalence of aggression in the last year was 22.2%, 55.0% and 44.4% for physical, verbal and reputational aggression, respectively. Race prevalence was 45.5%, 74.0%, and 68.7% for physical, verbal, and reputational aggression, respectively. Rates did not differ by sex, race, ethnicity, specialty, age, years in practice, or average number of patients treated per day. Conclusions Participants reported levels of physical, verbal, and reputational aggression at rates comparable to other healthcare professionals in the United States and abroad. Additional research with larger representative samples of dentists in the United States is necessary to confirm these prevalence estimates. Future research should also investigate predictors and outcomes of patient aggression and prevention and intervention strategies. Practical implications Substantial rates of patient aggression highlight the need to address this issue in dental practices. The authors discuss implications for the dental profession, including proactive measures that could be taken to reduce patient aggression in dental offices. |
About half of U.S. dentists experienced verbal or reputational aggression from their patients in the past year, and nearly one in four experienced physical aggression, according to a new study led by researchers at the U.S. School of Dentistry. New York University.
The study, published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association , is the first to document aggression toward dentists in the United States.
Workplace aggression toward healthcare professionals is common, and healthcare settings are second only to law enforcement in the rate of violent incidents. However, there are no studies of aggression toward dentists in the US, a workforce of 200,000, and only four studies have been conducted in other countries.
"Workplace violence toward health care professionals is widespread and overlooked ," said Kimberly Rhoades, a research scientist with the Family Translational Research Group at New York University School of Dentistry and lead author of the study. study. "The purpose of this study was to provide an initial estimate of patient aggression rates in dental practices in the United States."
Rhoades and colleagues surveyed 98 dentists practicing in the New York City metropolitan area; Dentists had been working for an average of 17 years. Participants completed a confidential online survey to assess whether they had experienced any of 21 specific types of aggressive behaviors from their patients, including physical (e.g., being pushed or kicked), verbal (e.g., being pushed or kicked) behavior types. , Being insulted or sworn at) and reputational (e.g., threats of lawsuits or posting nasty comments on social media) aggression.
A substantial proportion of dentists reported experiencing aggression from patients in the past year, including physical (22.2%), verbal (55%), and reputational (44.4%) aggression. An even higher proportion of dentists surveyed were subjected to physical (45.5%), verbal (74%) and reputational (68.7%) attacks at some point in their career.
These rates of patient aggression toward dentists are high and comparable to those reported in other healthcare settings.
Assault rates did not differ by dentists’ sex, race, ethnicity, specialty, age, years in practice, or average number of patients treated per day.
The rates of physical and reputational aggression toward dentists were similar to a parallel study by New York University researchers on aggression toward dental students published earlier this year in the Journal of Dental Education. However, practicing dentists experienced less verbal aggression from patients than dental students (55% versus 86%), suggesting that additional experience may reduce the risk of verbal aggression.
"Dentistry is rife with situations that can provoke strong negative emotions, such as fear, pain, mistrust and anger. Many patients also experience high levels of anxiety and vulnerability, which can increase negative responses or aggression," Rhoades said. "Establishing that aggression toward dentists is a problem and how frequently it occurs can help us develop interventions to prevent aggression in dental practices."
The researchers note that while a larger national study is needed to determine the true prevalence of aggression in U.S. dental settings, dental practices should consider implementing training that incorporates strategies for managing workplace violence. job. Training could address how to prevent patient aggression and manage or reduce aggression when it occurs.
