Violence in Primary Healthcare: A Study in Northern Portugal

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Violence against healthcare professionals represents a public health problem with an impact on the quality of care provided and the well-being of professionals.
We aimed to characterize reports of violence against health professionals in Primary Health Care in Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde.
METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study that focused on notifications of violence against health professionals within the scope of the Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde CSP, between January 2022 and July 2024.
RESULTS: Seventy-nine notifications were analyzed, corresponding to 68 different cases. The majority of events involved psychological violence (69%) and occurred at the service desk. Clinical secretaries were the most affected group. Only four professionals formalized a complaint to the authorities.
CONCLUSION: The analysis revealed underreporting and difficulty in categorizing events. The study highlights the importance of continuous training, implementation of preventive measures and improvement of notification circuits. The new structure of the Local Health Unit may represent an opportunity to optimize prevention and intervention strategies, however, new studies will be needed to evaluate the hospital reality, as well as other variables and the impact of mitigation measures at local and national level.