Abstract
The Aichi Medical Association (Aichi prefecture, Japan) surveyed 340 medical facilities in Aichi prefecture between February 25, 2008, and to March 31, 2008, regarding problems with patients including abusive language, violent behavior, and sexual harassment. The questionnaire return rate was 54.1%. The survey indicated that healthcare professionals and clerks encountered such problems in 72.8% of the medical facilities as follows:frequent verbal abuse(nurses, 46.2%;clerks, 31.8% and doctors, 18.3%), occasional violence(nurses, 53.2%;doctors, 38.0%;and clerks, 36.7%), and occasional sexual harassment (nurses, 54.2%;clerks, 28.4%;and doctors, 18.2%). Present countermeasures against these abuses and violent behaviors appear to be insufficient. For example, in response to a question regarding the establishment of a system to care for medical staff members who have suffered from such problems, 32.7% of the medical facilities with 300 or more beds responded yes, while only 6.3% of the medical facilities with less than 300 beds responded yes (p<.01).
