title: Bullying and Sexual Discrimination in the Greek Health Care System.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Modern medicine is based on teamwork and communication. Bullying and discrimination can have a serious effect on these, affecting the standard of medical training and patient care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of bullying and sex discrimination in the Greek health care system.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online questionnaire was designed and circulated among Greek medical professionals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We received 1349 completed questionnaires with a response rate of 48% and with 45% of them being female. Equal opportunities in specialty training were reported by 55% of the participants. Female doctors in medicine and in surgery reported no equal opportunities at an incidence of 15% and 30%, respectively (p < 0.001). Family obligations and lack of family support were considered as the main obstacles in female doctors' professional development by 92% and 59% of the participants, respectively. Both sexes appeared to have suffered from various forms of abusive behavior with characteristics that vary between them. Verbal abuse, threatening behavior, and sexual harassment were reported by 50%, 38%, and 20%, respectively, with women being 3 times more likely to be victims of sexual harassment (34% vs. 9%, p < 0.001). Finally, the availability of official support mechanisms was reported in only 15% of the cases, whereas friends and colleagues were the main support for 46.17% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study attempting to preliminary describe the extent of bullying and sexual discrimination in the Greek national health care system. Despite the limitations of this study, it is imperative that more research is performed on this issue from the appropriate national authorities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Pavlina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chrysafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, National School of Public Health, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Effie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simou
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Department, MeDynamic Consulting Group, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Marinos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makris
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Department, MeDynamic Consulting Group, London, United Kingdom; Surgical Division, Imperial College of London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malietzis
authors.affiliation: Interventional Radiology Department, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, United Kingdom; Research and Development Department, MeDynamic Consulting Group, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: g.makris09@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: Gregory C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Makris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058445:Bullying; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D063507:Sexism; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Greece; Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Medical Knowledge; Professionalism; bullying; discrimination; medical profession