Browsing by Subject "job demand"

Aims: Healthcare workers commonly suffer from workplace aggression, so it is important to understand factors that may increase its risk. Previous studies have shown that job demands increase the risk of inappropriate treatment at workplace. Furthermore, poorly functioning, and constantly changing information systems form a major work stressor for doctors. Therefore, the current study examines if physicians that re-port higher levels of stress related to information systems are also more likely to re-port experiencing workplace aggression. Methods: The sample for the study (n=3327) was collected in the cross-sectional Finnish Physicians’ Working Conditions and Health 2019 -study. Both physical and non-physical aggression were measured, and a combined variable for general aggression was also formed from them. For non-physical aggression, also the perpetrator of aggression was examined: patients or their relatives, and co-workers or superiors. For each type of aggression, logistic regression analysis was used with stress related to in-formation systems as the predictive variable. Results and conclusions: Higher levels of stress related to information systems were associated with higher likelihood of aggression in all types of aggression. The association was strongest with non-physical aggression. These results emphasize the importance of designing functional information systems to improve both the wellbeing of physicians and the quality of patient care in the future. However, the current findings warrant more research, especially regarding the possible mediating factors between stress related to information systems and workplace aggression.