Survey: Aggression Against Doctors on the Internet is Increasing

14 percent even became victims of online hate. "The trend is strongly increasing," said the President of the Vienna Medical Association, Johannes Steinhart, on Tuesday at a press conference. The association is now responding by establishing an ombudsman's office.

"The threshold for insults, derogatory and business-damaging comments, and even threats of violence is becoming increasingly lower in the digital space. Such digital aggressions are not only an attack on the mental integrity of doctors, they are an attack on the entire healthcare system," criticized Steinhart.

For those affected, the association has launched the ombudsman's office "Hate on the Net," which is intended to serve as a low-threshold and free initial contact point. Legal experts offer doctors an initial assessment of possible legal steps. "The implementation of these steps, such as lawsuits, is then directly up to the affected doctors," the association emphasized. In addition, templates such as sample requests for deletion are provided.

"Hate on the Net" Against Doctors Increases Significantly

The association sought reinforcement from the experienced media lawyer Maria Windhager. "In cases of clear violations of personal rights, further legal steps can be taken with legal support, such as warnings and lawsuits. This applies particularly to defamatory and business-damaging reviews," said Windhager.

Vice President Naghme Kamaleyan-Schmied, who herself received death threats via email during the Covid pandemic, emphasized that it is essential for doctors to feel safe and comfortable in their practices. She identified the main reason for the sometimes great anger of patients - such as long waiting times - in a general undersupply. Covid, on the other hand, hardly plays a role anymore.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.