Psychosocial pattern of interprofessional violence in Peruvian healthcare work: A mixed Delphi consensus study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Studies on psychological violence in healthcare facilities have focused on the analysis of incidences in specific contexts. Consensus studies on the psychosocial factors of interprofessional violence related to interpersonal conflict and motivational demands are scarce. This study aims to determine by Delphi consensus the psychosocial pattern of interprofessional violence in healthcare work for Peru and its geographical regions. METHODS A mixed Delphi consensus method was applied, bringing together professionals with psychological violence experience and knowledge. The study was conducted in three stages and three rounds of Delphi consultation between May 2023 and June 2024. The integration of consensus at regional and national levels was carried out through Graph Network Analysis. RESULTS Up to the third stage of the study, 444 experts in 32 focus groups from 81 healthcare institutions participated. 70.5% of the participants were women, and 27.6% worked in nursing and emergency departments. After the Delphi consensus analysis, we obtained a ranked list of six psychosocial factors of interprofessional violence for Peru and nine for its regions. CONCLUSIONS According to the consensus, two of the main psychosocial factors of interprofessional violence in health establishments in the coast and rainforest regions are the devaluation of work and harassment by superiors towards subordinates that induce them to change jobs or resign. Excessive control by colleagues was the first hierarchy for the highlands region. The differences between geographical regions in Peru and between studies in other countries reflect that the phenomenon of interprofessional violence is specific and contextual; in the case of Peru, the differences between regions may be due to healthcare facilities with different characteristics (e.g., rural vs. urban facilities).