New ombudsman's office

Aggression against doctors on the internet is on the rise

(Bild: HELMUT FOHRINGER / APA / picturedesk.com)

Aggression against doctors on the Internet is on the rise. In a survey of around 1,000 doctors commissioned by the Vienna Medical Association, around 58% stated that they had been affected by unjustified reviews.

According to the survey, 14 percent of respondents had even been victims of online hate speech. "The trend is rising sharply", said the President of the Vienna Medical Association, Johannes Steinhart, at a press conference on Tuesday. The chamber is now responding by setting up an ombudsman's office.

"The inhibition threshold for insults, derogatory and business-damaging comments and even threats of violence is getting lower and lower in the digital space. Such digital aggression is not just an attack on the psychological integrity of doctors, it is an attack on healthcare as a whole," criticized Steinhart.

"Hate on the Net" ombudsman's office set up
The Chamber has set up the "Hate on the Net" ombudsman's office for those affected, which will serve as a low-threshold and free initial point of contact with immediate effect. Here, legal experts offer medical professionals an initial assessment of possible legal steps.

"Taking these steps, such as legal action, is then the direct responsibility of the doctors concerned," the chamber emphasized. In addition, templates such as sample applications for deletion requests are made available.

Lawsuits are sometimes possible
The Chamber has enlisted the support of experienced media lawyer Maria Windhager. "In the case of clear violations of personal rights, further legal steps can be taken with the support of a lawyer, such as warnings and lawsuits. This also applies in particular to reviews that are damaging to reputation and business," says Windhager.

Vice President Naghme Kamaleyan-Schmied, who herself received death threats by email during the Covid pandemic, emphasized that it is essential that doctors feel safe and comfortable in their surgeries.

Long waiting times the main reason for anger
The main reason for the sometimes great anger of patients - for example due to long waiting times - is a general lack of care. Covid, on the other hand, hardly plays a role anymore.