The study synthesized qualitative findings from 17 studies to map the strategies healthcare workers and their organizations use to prevent and respond to sexual harassment on the job. The research team, led by Samaneh Behzadi Fard and colleagues, searched six sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar, with Google Scholar serving as a supplementary tool to catch relevant studies not indexed in the bibliographic databases. Data collection took place from October to December 2024, and only English-language articles were included, with no restrictions on publication date.
The initial search identified 6,065 records, which the authors screened following the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram, ultimately retaining 17 studies for the final synthesis. The review was reported in accordance with the ENTREQ statement for qualitative syntheses, though the authors note that the protocol was not prospectively registered. The synthesis produced one overarching theme built from two subthemes and five categories.
The first subtheme, individual strategies for responding to workplace sexual harassment, contained three categories: minimizing exposure, avoidance behaviours and coping behaviours. The second subtheme, organizational strategies for addressing workplace sexual harassment, contained two categories: organizational interventions and support from senior colleagues. On the organizational side, the synthesis identified organizational interventions as important approaches for both preventing and responding to harassment.
These include the policies, training and reporting structures that healthcare organizations can put in place. Support from senior colleagues formed the second organizational category, pointing to the role that leadership and experienced staff play in shaping how harassment is handled on the ground. The authors conclude that these organizational measures, alongside comprehensive employee training, effective reporting mechanisms and consistent implementation and monitoring of anti-sexual-harassment policies, are needed within healthcare organizations.
That means the findings describe the range and pattern of strategies documented in the included literature rather than measuring how often each strategy is used or how effective any of them is at reducing harassment. The 17 included studies were conducted across healthcare settings, but the synthesis is limited to what those studies reported. The authors are explicit about the review's constraints.
Language limitations restricted the evidence base to English-language publications, the search was confined to six platforms, and qualitative translation complexities, the challenges of carrying meanings across languages and study contexts, add further uncertainty. They recommend that future work address multilingual inclusivity, use targeted search protocols and expand the network of databases consulted. As a strength, they note that the review integrated findings across all occupational sectors and organizational levels within healthcare, and that its unrestricted historical scope allowed patterns in harassment mitigation approaches to be traced over time.
The synthesis points instead to a layered approach: training that prepares staff to recognize and respond to harassment, reporting mechanisms that workers actually trust and use, and policies that are not merely written but consistently implemented and monitored. By consolidating qualitative evidence on what workers actually do when harassed, and what organizations can do about it, the review offers a structured map for researchers and administrators. As with any synthesis of qualitative research, the conclusions are bounded by the quality and scope of the underlying studies, and the authors' own stated limitations on language, database access and translation apply throughout.
The findings should be read as an organized summary of documented strategies rather than a demonstration that any particular intervention reduces harassment rates.
Subject of Research: Strategies for preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment among healthcare workers
Article Title: Strategies for preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment in healthcare settings: a qualitative meta-synthesis
Article References: Behzadi Fard, S., Soltani Goki, F., Shamsi, A., & Dehghan, M. (2026). Strategies for preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment in healthcare settings: a qualitative meta-synthesis. BMC Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15437-7
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-026-15437-7
Keywords: workplace sexual harassment, healthcare workers, qualitative meta-synthesis, organizational interventions, avoidance behaviours, reporting mechanisms, employee training, BMC Health Services Research, systematic review, occupational health, Strategies, preventing
News Source: Ophelia Keating. (October 27, 2026). Research report: Strategies for preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment in healthcare settings: a qualitative meta-synthesis. Scienmag.
