Source avec lien : The Journal of Emergency Medicine, (Prépublication), 21 janvier 2021. 10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.12.007
Le personnel des services médicaux d’urgence en milieu extra-hospitalier continue d’être très exposé à la violence, malgré la poursuite des recherches à l’échelle nationale. Notre objectif était de déterminer la prévalence et le type de violence perpétrée contre le personnel des services médicaux d’urgence du sud-est du Michigan, ainsi que les caractéristiques des victimes en milieu préhospitalier.
Background Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel in the out-of-hospital setting continue to be at high risk for violence, in spite of continued research on a national scale. Objective Our aim was to determine the prevalence and type of violence perpetrated against Southeast Michigan EMS personnel, and characteristics of victims in the out-of-hospital setting. Methods EMS personnel from urban and suburban counties in Southeastern Michigan were surveyed online about their experience with violence, including description and outcomes, while working in the out-of-hospital setting within the previous 6 months. Gift card incentive and recruitment scripts were provided and read to participants. This was a pilot study that was limited to 150 respondents and ran for 3 months. Descriptive statistical analysis was done with an odds ratio, p value, and two-sample independent t-test analysis. Results There were 137 surveys respondents. Most respondents, 75 of 128 (58.6%) reported being a victim of violence within the previous 6 months. Perpetrators were primarily patients and occasionally family members. Substance abuse or mental health issues were frequently associated with violence. Although not common, women reported violence perpetrated by a coworker more often than men (odds ratio 5.17; 95% confidence interval 1.67–16.0). Only 55 of 117 respondents (47.0%) felt that the training did an adequate job protecting them from violence. Conclusions More than one-half of responding EMS personnel experienced work-related violence within the previous 6 months in Southeast Michigan. This high rate of violence supports the need for additional research and policies that ensure the safety of EMS providers in this region.