Prevalence of sexual harassment and sexual assault from patient to provider among women in dermatology and across specialties

Background: Sexual harassment (SH) includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and hostile conduct that targets someone based on gender and overlaps with some types of sexual assault (SA). SH/SA in health care can occur between providers or between patient and provider. Most studies of SH in medicine focus on SH perpetrated by one health care provider against another, with very few studies examining SH from patient to provider.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the prevalence and impact of SH/SA from patient to provider, with a particular focus on SH/SA experienced by dermatologists and trainees.

Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was sent to professional listservs and an online forum, which included representatives from multiple institutions, practice settings, and medical specialties. Trainees and dermatologists were targeted particularly.

Results: A total of 330 complete responses were included. In all, 83% of respondents reported experiencing SH from a patient. SH from a patient was more frequently reported by women compared with men (94% vs. 52%; p = .001). Behaviors consistent with SA were experienced by 31% of respondents and were more frequently experienced by women (35% vs. 15%; p = .001). Women were more likely to report that patient-to-provider SH contributed to burnout (33% of women vs. 9% of men; p = .002). Female trainees were significantly more likely to have experienced SH compared with female attendings within the past year (94 of 110 trainees [86%] vs. 83 of 127 attendings [65%]; p = .001). There was no significant difference in the proportion of women reporting ever experiencing SH when comparing dermatology and nondermatology specialties.

Limitations: The limitations of this study include the relatively small sample size, oversampling of trainees, and a gender-biased sample.

Conclusion: Patient-to-provider SH/SA is widespread, particularly among women and trainees, and may have a significant impact on burnout.