D2.422 - Supporting second victims: linkages between patient safety and well-being of healthcare workers in allergy departments

The ERNST (The European Researchers’ Network Working on Second Victims - COST Action CA19113) Consortium describes second victim (SV) as: “any healthcare worker (HCW), directly or indirectly involved in an unanticipated adverse patient event, unintentional healthcare error, or patient injury, and who becomes victimized in the sense that they are also negatively impacted”. Despite various efforts to improve patient safety and to reduce adverse events (AEs) in healthcare settings, a significant proportion of patients are still affected by incidents and suffer harm during medical management. 

We used available ERNST and other SVs online resources to emphasize the need to support HCWs from allergy department who are affected by SV phenomenon and to improve their mental health and well-being. ERNST policy statement was utilized to propose interventions to improve well-being of HCWs from allergy departments as SVs. 

Available literature has shown that annually about 10% of hospitalized patients experienced an AE with significant economic and personal costs. When an AE occurs, HCWs are also suffering as SVs from the knowledge of having harmed their patients. Therefore, in addition to addressing the needs of the patients and their relatives, it is highly recommended to address the emotional impact on HCWs. It has been shown that similar workplace factors in healthcare settings affect both patient safety and HCWs’ health and well-being (e.g., patient safety culture, job demands/resources, organizational culture, or leadership styles). HCWs from allergy departments could also struggle as SVs from different types of AE (e.g., preventable or ameliorable AE, AE due to negligence, medical errors, and near misses). There is a need to raise awareness about the SV phenomenon in HCWs and key stakeholders from healthcare settings and education institutions. ERNST Training Manual and Peer Support Program Implementation Guide, as well as case studies and dissemination through social networks should be utilized. The specifics of work in allergy departments (e.g., dealing with emergencies, AE during diagnostic and invasive procedures, AE during allergy immunotherapy or other therapeutic modalities, prescribing errors or errors due to inadequate resources and support) have to be taken into consideration. 

Proposing recommendations and interventions for addressing SV phenomenon in HCWs from allergy departments could be beneficial for both patient safety and occupational health and safety of HCWs.