ACEP Fights for Safer Workplaces Through Advocacy, Awareness Campaigns
Addressing rising violence in emergency departments.
A new poll from ACEP provides real numbers to the rise in violence we've seen in our EDs. The national survey of emergency physicians shows that 85 percent believe violence in EDs has increased, with 45 percent saying it has greatly increased over the past five years.
“Violence in the emergency department continues to threaten and harm emergency physicians and patients,” says ACEP President Chris Kang, MD, FACEP, FAWM. “Over the past five years, emergency physicians have witnessed and experienced a steady increase in assaults made worse by the pandemic. This report underscores how attacks on emergency physicians, care teams and staff are rampant and must be addressed.”
COVID-19 has had a chilling effect on the levels of trust and has heightened violence between patients, the care team and staff. Two-thirds of emergency physicians (66 percent) believe COVID-19 has increased the amount of violence in emergency departments, and 69 percent of emergency physicians say that COVID-19 has decreased the level of trust between patients and physicians or emergency department staff.
“As emergency departments are no longer respected as safe zones, inadequate protections for emergency medical professionals and staff, and patients combined with insufficient accountability from hospitals, communities and assailants can only encourage violence to continue,” said Dr. Kang. “We must do more to make sure that physicians and staff can perform their duties without needing to worry about threats to their wellbeing or safety.”
Learn more about how you can join ACEP's advocacy efforts to stop ED violence and use our spokesperson resources to lend your voice.
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