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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Academic Ophthalmology 2020; 12(02): e175-e180
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1717062
Research Article

Responding to Patient-Initiated Verbal Sexual Harassment: Outcomes of a Pilot Training for Ophthalmologists

Lauren E. Hock
1   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Brittni A. Scruggs
1   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
2   Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, Oregon
,
Patrick B. Barlow
3   Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Thomas A. Oetting 
1   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Michael D. Abràmoff
1   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
,
Erin M. Shriver
1   Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
› Author Affiliations Funding The authors acknowledge the support of an unrestricted grant to the University of Iowa, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, NY. Dr. Abramoff received support from the National Institutes of Health Center Core (grant number: P30EY025580). There are no relevant financial disclosures for any author.
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Abstract

Background Sexual harassment of physicians by patients is highly prevalent and rarely reported. Little is known on how to prepare physicians to handle verbal sexual harassment that detracts from their ability to provide care but does not meet the threshold for reporting.

Purpose To assess the impact of a sexual harassment workshop and toolkit for ophthalmologists and ophthalmology trainees on responding to patient-initiated verbal sexual harassment.

Methods A survey study of ophthalmology faculty, fellows, and residents who participated in workshops on responding to patient-initiated verbal sexual harassment was performed at an academic center. A toolkit of strategies for response was distributed. Volunteer participants completed a retrospective pretest–posttest evaluation at the conclusion of the workshop and follow-up survey 3 weeks after the workshops on whether they experienced harassment and intervened. The pretest–posttest surveys assessed the workshop's effect on ophthalmologists' perceptions of and preparedness to respond to sexual harassment in the moment using a 5-point Likert scale, including bystander intervention. Participants described their responses observing and/or experiencing patient-initiated sexual harassment in the 3 weeks following the workshop and whether they had intervened toward the harassment.

Results Ophthalmologists (n = 31) felt significantly more prepared to respond to patient-initiated sexual harassment directed toward themselves or a trainee in the moment after participating in the workshop (4.5 ± 1.63) than before (3.0 ± 1.3) with a mean change of 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 0.98–2.2, p < 0.001). After the workshop, 86.3% of participants felt mostly or completely prepared to respond to comments about their age, gender, marital status, appearance, attractiveness, a specific body part, and sexual or inappropriate jokes. Most participants (83.9%) said that they had not previously received training on techniques for responding to patient-initiated sexual harassment. Two-thirds (66.7%) of participants who experienced (n = 8) or observed (n = 13) harassment (n = 15) following the workshop intervened. All participants who intervened toward patient-initiated harassment behavior after the workshop (n = 10) found the Sexual Harassment Toolkit helpful in addressing harassment in the moment.

Conclusion Participation in a brief skills-based workshop significantly improved ophthalmologists' preparedness to respond to verbal sexual harassment by patients.

Keywords

ophthalmology - resident - sexual harassment - toolkit - workshop - patient - training - gender

Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 03 March 2020

Accepted: 11 August 2020

Article published online:
10 October 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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