Study: Disabled physicians disproportionately mistreated by patients, coworkers

A recent study published in Health Affairs found that physicians with disabilities are much more likely to report mistreatment while on the job.

Researchers surveyed nearly 6,000 practicing physicians with 3.1% of them self-identifying as disabled. The survey results show that 64% of disabled physicians reported at least one form of mistreatment (e.g., offensive remarks, physical harm, threats of physical harm, and unwanted sexual advances) in the previous 12 months.

When comparing their treatment to physicians without disabilities, disabled physicians had a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing mistreatment, including:

• 39.9% of disabled physicians reported they were threatened with physical harm from patients, compared to 22.6% of physicians without disabilities
• 27.6% of disabled physicians reported they were threatened with physical harm from coworkers, compared to 4.8% of physicians without disabilities
• 35.8% of disabled physicians reported they were subjected to sexist remarks from patients, compared to 18.1% of physicians without disabilities
• 27.1% of disabled physicians reported they were subjected to sexist remarks from coworkers, compared to 12.1% of physicians without disabilities
• 39.9% of disabled physicians reported they were subjected to unwanted sexual advances from patients, compared to 16.4% of physicians without disabilities
• 31.3% of disabled physicians reported they were subjected to unwanted sexual advances from coworkers, compared to 7.5% of physicians without disabilities

Source: Health Affairs