Qualitative description of sexual harassment and discrimination of women in emergency medicine: Giving the numbers a voice

Introduction: Gender disparities in medicine are well documented; however, little qualitative data exist. This study sought to provide a qualitative assessment of harassment and discrimination experienced by female physicians in emergency medicine (EM) specifically by colleagues or supervisors. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to female EM physicians on October 18, 2018, asking if they have felt harassed, diminished, uncomfortable, or discriminated against by a male colleague or supervisor at work based on a sexual comment or unwanted advance. Space for descriptive experiences was provided. A data abstraction tool was developed, and experiences were placed into thematic categories. The survey was closed on December 18, 2018, and data were analyzed. Results: There were 1280 responses. Responses that were incomplete, not attributable to women, and outside of EM were excluded leaving 1144 to be analyzed. Respondents were primarily White (81%) and working in nonacademic environments (53.5%). The majority (57.3%) felt harassed, diminished, uncomfortable, or discriminated against by a male colleague or superior at work based on sexual comment or innuendo; 22.3% experienced an unwanted sexual act or advance. There were 482 descriptive experiences reported, most frequently focusing on patronizing behavior (16.5%), pregnancy/maternity leave (15.9%), and physical appearance (12.5%). Conclusions: Women in EM experience sexual harassment and discrimination at work by their peers and supervisors. Exploring the themes of their shared experiences can guide and focus efforts on both prevention and intervention. Further studies are needed to determine if these experiences contribute to disparities in earnings, promotion, and leadership roles of women in medicine.