A qualitative study of workplace violence among healthcare providers in emergency departments in India

Emergency department (ED) workplace violence is increasingly recognized as an important issue for ED providers. Most studies have occurred in developed countries with established laws and repercussions for violence against healthcare providers. There is a paucity of data on workplace violence against ED providers in less developed countries. The aim of this study was to learn more about workplace violence among healthcare providers in EDs in India.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in-person with physicians, nurses, and paramedics in Indian EDs. Interviews were coded independently using the NVivo qualitative research software. A hybrid thematic analysis approach was used to determine dominant themes. Sixty-three interviews were conducted at 7 sites across India. Interview participants include attending physicians (11), resident physicians (36), nurses (10), and paramedics (5). Events were most often described as involving accompanying persons to the patient, not the patient themselves. Most events involved verbal abuse, although a significant percentage of responses described some kind of physical violence. ED factors such as busy times with high patient volumes or periods of waiting are associated with increased violence, as well as incidents with unanticipated outcomes such as patients with severe illness or death. Decreased levels of health literacy among patients often contribute as the financial stressors of paying for medical care. Providers reported negative consequences of workplace violence on quality of care for patients and their own motivation to work in the ED. Communication strategies were frequently proposed as interventions to mitigate violence in the future including both provider communication as well as public awareness campaigns.

Workplace violence is a frequent reality for this sample of Indian ED healthcare providers. Alarming levels of verbal and physical abuse and their impact on patient care are described. This qualitative study identified unique challenges to Indian ED providers that differ from those in more developed settings, including financial stressors, inadequate enforcement of rules governing behavior in the hospital, and an overwhelming frequency of violence emanating from patient family members and attendants rather than the patients themselves. Further investigation into preventive strategies is needed.