The emerging risk that constitute aggressions and violence that physicians suffer performing their profession: the case of Spain

Abstract

The article presents some considerations on the aggressions within the area of Health Professionals, considering those facts as an international phenomenon which is latent in
European countries (Spain, France, Great Britain) as well as in other parts of the world (Latin America, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). In Spain, the studies carried out with medical staff demonstrate that the aggression rate is approximately of 0,2/100.000 medical acts. The objective of this article is to place emphasis on the aggressions and violence suffered by the medical staff in the course of their duties, and since it is a relatively new phenomenon there is not much data on the topic. For this reason I consider important to deepen, investigate and
outline possible causes to this serious problem which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) denounces that almost 25 percent of all the incidents of violence at work take place in the health sector.