In the last three years, 12 percent of female physicians were sexually harassed, according to the first in a series of sexual harassment reports published by Medscape June 13.
For its first report, "Sexual Harassment of Physicians," Medscape asked more than 6,200 physicians about their experience with sexual harassment in the workplace. Medscape has several other surveys detailing sexual harassment for other healthcare workers, including nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, on the docket.
Here are five survey insights:
1. Overall, 7 percent of physicians indicated they personally experienced some form of sexual harassment in the last three years, compared to 11 percent among nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
2. Additionally, 14 percent of physicians said they witnessed sexual abuse, harassment or misconduct, and 2 percent were accused of sexual abuse, harassment or misconduct.
3. About three times more female physicians experienced sexual harassment than their male counterparts.
4. Physicians most frequently experienced harassment behaviors of: infringing on personal space (55 percent); leering (52 percent); groping (46 percent); and unwanted romantic attention (26 percent).
6. Almost half (47 percent) of the perpetrators of harassment were other physicians. Twenty-nine percent of perpetrators were classified as others, which includes administrators, nonmedical personnel and patients.
Read the full report here.