Impact of a Mediator for Patient Intake in Emergency Departments

Welcoming Patients in Emergency Departments: Impact of the Mediator

Violence in the workplace is becoming a serious phenomenon in the contemporary world of work. Hospital staff, like any employee working in contact with the public, is particularly exposed to this violence. In emergency departments, the number of patients treated and their heterogeneity, the problems of communicating with healthcare professionals, and waiting times, favor conflict situations. In the already tense context of the emergencies, the incivilities or violent acts have an impact on the well-being of professionals. In order to prevent these situations of violence, a solution could be to integrate a professional with specific skills into the teams to perform mediation functions between caregivers and patients.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of the presence of a mediator in emergency services on personal (verbal or physical) attacks on professionals (caregivers, doctors, administrative staff).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient aged 18 years or older.
• Registered at the reception of the emergency department between 8 am and 8 pm, excluding bank holidays.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient with psychiatric disorders or impairment of judgment related to the taking of toxic substances.
• Patients requiring medical care in less than 30 minutes (sort code).