Patient aggression towards receptionists in general practice: a systematic review

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Version of Record (VoR)

Author(s)
Willer, F
Chua, D
Ball, L
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2023
Size
File type(s)
Location
Abstract

Objective General practice receptionists provide an essential function in the healthcare system but routinely encounter acts of incivility and aggression from patients, including hostility, abuse and violence. This study was conducted to summarise what is known about patient-initiated aggression towards general practice receptionists, including impacts on reception staff and existing mitigation strategies. Design Systematic review with convergent integrated synthesis. Eligibility criteria Studies published at any time in English that examine patient aggression experiences of reception staff in primary care settings. Information sources Searches of five major databases were performed (CINAHL Complete, Scopus, PubMed, Healthcare Administration Database and Google Scholar) to August 2022. Results Twenty studies of various designs were included, ranging from the late 1970s to 2022 and originating from five OECD countries. Twelve were assessed as high quality using a validated checklist. Reviewed articles represented 4107 participants; 21.5% were general practice receptionists. All studies reported that displays of aggression towards receptionists by patients were a frequent and routine occurrence in general practice, particularly verbal abuse such as shouting, cursing, accusations of malicious behaviour and use of racist, ablest and sexist insults. Although infrequent, physical violence was widely reported. Inefficient appointment scheduling systems, delayed access to doctors and prescription denial appeared common precipitators. Receptionists adapted their behaviour and demeanour to placate and please patients to avoid escalation of patient frustrations at the cost of their own well-being and clinic productivity. Training in patient aggression management increased receptionist confidence and appeared to decrease negative sequalae. Coordinated support for general practice reception staff who had experienced patient aggression was generally lacking, with a small proportion receiving professional counselling. Conclusions Patient aggression towards reception staff is a serious workplace safety concern for general practices and negatively affects healthcare sector function more broadly. Receptionists in general practice deserve evidence-based measures to improve their working conditions and well-being for their own benefit and that of the community. Registration Pre-registered in Open Science Framework (osf.io/42p85).

Journal Title

Family Medicine and Community Health

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

11

Issue

3

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Sociology

Psychology

Health services and systems

Public health

Exposure to Violence

General Practice

Harm Reduction

Occupational Health

Primary Health Care

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Willer, F; Chua, D; Ball, L, Patient aggression towards receptionists in general practice: a systematic review, Family Medicine and Community Health, 2023, 11 (3), pp. e002171

Collections