Healthcare Staff Endure Sexual Harassment From Some Patients, And This Sociomedical Problem Requires Societal Initiatives. Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, Salem Pain Clinic
— Olumuyiwa Bamgbade
SURREY, BC, CANADA, June 28, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Workplace sexual harassment is a problem in healthcare, law enforcement, and other sectors. However, in the healthcare sector, workplace sexual harassment may be caused by patients or clients. Sexual harassment of healthcare staff caused by patients is often overlooked and under-reported. This hidden sociomedical problem was highlighted in a scientific research publication by Dr. Olumuyiwa Bamgbade and an international team of research collaborators.
The peer-reviewed scientific article was published in the Anesthesiology And Pain Medicine journal in May 2024. The prospective observational clinical study included 1102 chronic pain patients who received treatment at a specialist pain clinic. The study outcomes showed that healthcare staff were harassed by 121 patients (11 %). The types of harassment included threats, insults, retaliation complaints, and sexual harassment. There were 51 cases of sexual harassment caused by patients. Examples of sexual harassment caused by patients included propositions of intimate or sexual activity, repeated social or date invitations, comments about staff’s anatomy or body, unwanted sexual remarks, unsolicited descriptions by patients of their sexual activities, unwanted hugging or touching, and patients soliciting comments about their own body or appearance. Patients sexually harassed male and female staff. Healthcare staff were sexually harassed exclusively by female patients.
The study showed that all sexual harassment advances from patients were rejected and addressed. Four patients were discharged due to persistent sexually harassing behavior. Three patients stalked the pain clinician after being discharged from the clinic. The study highlights that some patients may perceive sexual harassment as harmless or flattering, but such behavior is insulting and unfair to healthcare staff. The study indicated that sexual harassment of healthcare staff has adverse effects on staff well-being and healthcare delivery. Therefore, workplace sexual harassment should be mitigated by setting clear boundaries, educating patients, chaperoning care, discouraging inappropriate behavior, issuing warnings to stop harassment, using electronic patient-clinic communication, and redirecting patients who challenge boundaries.
Dr Bamgbade is an anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician trained in Nigeria, the USA, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. He is a clinical professor at institutions in Europe, Africa, and North America. He has collaborated with researchers in Nigeria, Iran, the USA, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Namibia, Tanzania, China, and Canada. He has published 44 scientific papers in PubMed-indexed scientific journals. He is the director of Salem Anaesthesia Pain Clinic, a specialist clinic and research center in Surrey, BC, Canada. Dr Bamgbade and Salem Pain Clinic specialize in researching and managing pain, substance addiction therapy, insomnia, neuropathy, public safety, injury rehabilitation, public health, medicolegal science, and perioperative care.
References
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Olumuyiwa Bamgbade
Salem Anaesthesia Pain Clinic
+1 778-628-6600
[email protected]
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