Violence Exposure Status of Prehospital Care Emergency Medical Services Personnel and the Effects of Violence on the System

Background: Personnel working in prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) frequently encounter violence during their duties. This situation negatively affects the safety of healthcare workers and the delivery of services. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of violence exposure among prehospital care EMS personnel and to evaluate the impact of violence risk on service provision. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among prehospital care EMS personnel in Turkey, with a total of 501 participants. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire designed to capture instances of violence exposure. Results: Totally, 40.1% (201) of participants reported experiencing physical violence from at least one patient during their career, while 26.0% (130) reported experiencing physical violence from at least one patient's relative during their career. Younger participants, those working in urban areas, and those with higher average daily call-out rates experienced higher levels of violence exposure (P<.05). Also, 38.5% of the participants reported instances where they could not intervene for the patient due to the risk of violence, and 51.9% reported instances where they did not intervene for the patient until law enforcement arrived due to the risk of violence. Conclusion: The incidence of violence exposure among prehospital care EMS personnel is notably high. The high rates of violence in urban areas and the time lost in withdrawing from service and waiting for law enforcement intervention indicate that violence is a significant factor affecting service quality.