To be or not to be a doctor, that is the question: a review of serious incidents of violence against doctors in China from 2003-2013

Background The fact that violence against doctors is occurring in China is a hot topic worldwide today. Many doctors have been killed and injured. To gain a better understanding of this phenomenon in China, we collected evidence of serious violence against medical practitioners in China in order to appeal to the Chinese government and urge them to take action. Methods We collected cases of medical violence reported by local media and news websites and researched published works on hospital violence in English or Chinese from databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and NCBI from 2003 to 2013. Only cases involving serious medical violence resulting in death or injuries were selected. Results A total of 101 incidents of serious medical violence occurred in the past decade, in which 24 doctors or nurses died. Hospital violence happened frequently, and it occurred in nearly all divisions, with the emergency department being the main target area. Hospital disputes occurred more often in full-service tertiary hospitals, which accounted for 66 % of the cases of serious medical vio-lence. In these hospitals, attending doctors or those ranked above them were more likely to be involved. The most common causes of violence were dissatisfaction with the treatment or diagnosis (51 %), services (24 %), and expensive fees (5 %). Conclusion Doctor-patient relationships are fragile in China, and medical staffs are at risk of harm at work, even today. To secure the safety of medical practitioners and ensure the welfare of Chinese doctors, measures must be taken by the Chinese government. Public hospital reform is an urgent necessity.