Community Members’ View about Violence against Health Workers: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Violence toward health-care workers is a global health problem, usually associated with decreased job satisfaction, and poor patient care outcomes, with serious consequences for the patients. Its extent is difficult to measure due to under-reporting. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the opinion of some influential community members about violence against health workers with respect to its types, reasons, mechanisms in place, and suggestions to de-escalate it. Methods: A qualitative in-depth study was conducted with 10 key informants (including people working in judicial premises, police and military services, teachers, municipality members, and religious leaders). The discussion was conducted through a direct face-to-face interview, using a semi-structured interview guide that included open-ended questions. Results: Almost all the interviewees agreed that the main reasons for violence were the general security instability in the whole country, the poor quality of health services, weakness of laws and regulations for the punishment of the perpetrators, irresponsible behaviors of some doctors, in addition to the unexplained negative role of media toward doctors. Conclusion: workplace violence is a common, frequently happening practice in most health-care facilities in Iraq, probably attributed to the long-suffering of wars and conflicts. Shortage of staff and equipment is the base for this malpractice.

Keywords

• community members
• de-escalation
• health workers
• violence