Workplace Violence Against Doctors in Public Teaching Hospitals in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study Evaluating the Contributing Factors

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment or disruptive behaviour occurring in a workplace, involving workers and clients alike. Violence directed against doctors has been a pressing issue plaguing our public hospital settings in this decade, with surveys reporting 56-80% incidence globally. Objective: To evaluate factors contributing to workplace violence against doctors in public teaching hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in six public teaching hospitals of Lahore. Workplace violence was assessed using a validated questionnaire that measured physical violence, verbal abuse, and sexual harassment experienced by doctors in the past 12 months. The sample size, calculated using the Raosoft calculator with a 5.5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval, comprised 247 doctors selected through non-probability sampling. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables. The Chi-square test was applied to analyse associations between gender, job titles and workplace violence, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Among 247 respondents, 48.6% experienced workplace violence, with verbal abuse being predominant (85%). Males reported a significantly higher violence exposure compared to females (p<0.001). Key contributing factors included overcrowding (56.2%), long waiting times (81.37%), and death of patients (84.21%). Environmental factors like lack of accountability (54.25%) and insufficient staff (54.66%) were notable contributors. Conclusion: Workplace violence against doctors in public teaching hospitals is significantly associated with environmental, patient-related, and systemic factors. Implications for current practice include the need for improved infrastructure, better security protocols, and enhanced patient communication systems. Future research should focus on evaluating intervention strategies across multiple healthcare settings in Pakistan.