The British Junior Cardiologists’ Association (BJCA) and British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) have published a new position statement focused on ending bullying, harassment, discrimination and similar behaviors in cardiology.
The statement, published in full in Heart, is in part a response to research that found bullying was much more prevalent in cardiology than other specialties.
“All members of the cardiovascular workforce are entitled to work in an environment where appropriate and professional behavior is the expected standard and episodes of inappropriate behavior are not tolerated, but challenged when they occur,” wrote first author Dr. Christian Fielder Camm, BJCA president and an electrophysiology specialist with Keble College at the University of Oxford, and colleagues.
The statement also emphasizes that feedback should always be provided “in a manner that is considered comfortable and constructive.” Some parties may suggest that being mean and aggressive is a leadership tactic, according to the statement, but anything that leaves a person feeling intimidated or humiliated is 100% an act of bullying.
Another key takeaway from BJCA/BCS position statement is that bullying is never the fault of the person who is being bullied.
“While mistakes happen in medicine and may require frank feedback to aid learning, they are not an excuse for intimidating or belittling behavior or language,” the groups wrote. “However, providing essential feedback about suboptimal outcomes and/or performance is one of the most important functions of a trainer and a valuable characteristic of a colleague.”
How bullying, harassment and discrimination impact the cardiology community
The groups noted that “inappropriate behavior, language and actions” have a negative impact on the entire cardiology ecosystem. It can make cardiologists, nurses or other members of the care team feel hurt and intimidated, and it can impact job performance and patient outcomes.
“Bullying accounts for 50% of stress-related workplace illnesses. Additionally, bullying is associated with an increased risk of serious medical error,” the groups wrote. “Those who are bullied are more likely to plan to reduce their working hours or cease patient care. Importantly, bullying has wider consequences beyond just the individual being bullied and can negatively impact bystanders and patients.”
Recruitment efforts are also impacted when a specialty is known for above-average rates of bullying, harassment and discrimination. Women are already underrepresented in cardiology, for example, and one may expect that to get even worse if women cannot even get through medical school without being surrounded by these types of behavior.
The position statement also examines the financial side of this situation, noting that bullying “has financial consequences due to the costs related to staff loss and absences.”
“Improving standards of professional behavior, communication skills and the resulting patient experience has also been shown to increase departmental and individual practitioner revenue,” the groups added.
The importance of speaking out against bullying in cardiology
The BJCA and BCS statement also notes that “all of us within the culture” are responsible for allowing these behaviors to occur. Cardiologists and other cardiology professionals have “a responsibility to highlight and manage inappropriate language or behavior.”
To witness such actions and then ignore them, the groups wrote, is to perpetuate the behavior and help develop a poor workplace culture.
Other cardiology groups share their support
Nineteen other cardiology groups endorsed the BJCA/BCS position statement: The Association for Inherited Cardiac Conditions, British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, British Association for Nursing in Cardiovascular Care, British Atherosclerosis Society, British Congenital Cardiac Association, British Cardiovascular Intervention Society, British Cardio-Oncology Society, British Heart Rhythm Society, British Heart Valve Society, British Nuclear Cardiology Society, British Society of Cardiovascular Imaging, British Society of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, British Society for Cardiovascular Research, British Society of Echocardiography, British Society for Heart Failure, Cardiovascular Care Partnership UK, Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, Society for Cardiological Science and Technology and UK Maternal Cardiology Society.
The full statement, which goes into much more detail about how to fight back against these types of behavior, can be read here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.