New addition to the categories of rage

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

I just came across this news article, which should serve as a bit of a scary dose of reality to health care resource decision-makers.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

 

 

Doctors facing increased 'hospital rage'

Last Updated: Jan 30 2004 08:14 AM CST

 

GATINEAU - Health officials in West Quebec are being forced to take measures to protect health-care workers from increasing incidents of "hospital rage."

 

Officials say they're seeing more and more disgruntled patients upset at the long waits for health care. They say patients are losing their temper, shouting at doctors, throwing things at nurses, even spitting at them.

 

But officials at the Centre hospitalier des Vallés de l'Outaouais say they won't tolerate any violence. CEO Denis-Bernard Raiche says they've put up more security glass to protect receptionists. They have also hired more security guards. Most of all, Raiche says new measures are now in place to protect employees' identities.

 

"On the ID card there's a choice of the employee to state his last name or first name," Raiche says.

 

The Outaouais regional health board says it will launch an anti-violence campaign in a few weeks. A spokesperson for the board, Maxime Pednault-Jobin, says these violent scenes are becoming too familiar.

 

He says, "The level of tension is rising. It's a concern for the doctors, and it's a new reality they have to face."

 

Pednault-Jobin says the reason for the rage is simple. Patients are tired of waiting to see a doctor: "In the Outaouais, we think that one explanation is the shortage of doctors, the shortage of nurses. It's hard for them to see all the patients they would have to see."

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Geez. People getting mad and acting inappropriate at the hospital over waiting times is not new. Labelling it "Hospital Rage" and categorizing it as a distinct entity is.

 

To a certain degree, we create diseases by giving them these labels. 20 years ago there was almost no such thing as repetitive strain injuries. . . some gave something they saw a lable though, and all of a sudden the incidence of RSIs skyrocketed. Same goes for ADHD, and all of a sudden thousands of North American kids are on Ritalin or Concerta. Interestingly enough, Britain has nowhere near the number of kids diagnosed with ADHD. . .