#MeToo in EM: A Multicenter Survey of Academic Emergency Medicine Faculty on Their Experiences with Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Dave W. Lu, Tufts University; Michelle Lall, Emory University; Jennifer Mitzman, Ohio State University; Sheryl Heron, Emory University; Ava Pierce, University of Texas Southwestern; Nicholas D. Hartman, Wake Forest School of Medicine; Danielle M. McCarthy, Northwestern University; Joshua Jauregui, University of Washington; Tania D. Strout, Tufts University
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-03-01
• Publisher: eScholarship Publishing, University of California
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 Lu et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2019.11.44592
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine
• ISSN: 1936-900X
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 252
• End Page: 260
• Keywords: Emergency Medicine; ABUSE; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Science & Technology; WOMEN; FEMALE DOCTORS
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences, Health Care Management

Abstract

Introduction: Gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment of female physicians are well documented. The #MeToo movement has brought renewed attention to these problems. This study examined academic emergency physicians’ experiences with workplace gender discrimination and sexual harassment. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of emergency medicine (EM) faculty across six programs. Survey items included the following: the Overt Gender Discrimination at Work (OGDW) Scale; the frequency and source of experienced and observed discrimination; and whether subjects had encountered unwanted sexual behaviors by a work superior or colleague in their careers. For the latter question, we asked subjects to characterize the behaviors and whether those experiences had a negative effect on their self-confidence and career advancement. We made group comparisons using t-tests or chi-square analyses, and evaluated relationships between gender and physicians’ experiences using correlation analyses. Results: A total of 141 out of 352 (40.1%) subjects completed at least a portion of the survey. Women reported higher mean OGDW scores than men (15.4 vs 10.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6–6.8). Female faculty were also more likely to report having experienced gender-based discriminatory treatment than male faculty (62.7% vs 12.5%; 95% CI, 35.1%-65.4%), although male and female faculty were equally likely to report having observed gender-based discriminatory treatment of another physician (64.7% vs 56.3%; 95% CI, 8.6%-25.5%). The three most frequent sources of experienced or observed gender-based discriminatory treatment were patients, consulting or admitting physicians, and nursing staff. The majority of women reported having encountered unwanted sexual behaviors in their careers, with a significantly greater proportion of women reporting them compared to men (52.9% vs 26.2%, 95% CI, 9.9%-43.4%). The majority of unwanted behaviors were sexist remarks and sexual advances. Of those respondents who encountered these unwanted behaviors, 22.9% and 12.5% reported at least somewhat negative effects on their self-confidence and career advancement. Conclusion: Female EM faculty perceived more gender-based discrimination in their workplaces than their male counterparts. The majority of female and approximately a quarter of male EM faculty encountered unwanted sexual behaviors in their careers.