Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settings

Background The second victim (SV) experience limits the performance of health and care workers and places patients at risk. Peer support is recognised as the most effective, feasible and acceptable intervention to mitigate its impact.Objective To define a set of success factors when designing interv...

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Main Authors: José Joaquín Mira, Irene Carrillo, Kris Vanhaecht, Deborah Seys, Massimiliano Panella, Susanna Tella, Katja Schrøder, Reinhard Strametz, Paulo Sousa, Bojana Knezevic, Kaja Pölluste, Eva Gil-Hernández, Hana Knežević Krajina, Sofia Guerra Paiva, Einav Srulovici
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-01-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e089923.full
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author José Joaquín Mira
Irene Carrillo
Kris Vanhaecht
Deborah Seys
Massimiliano Panella
Susanna Tella
Katja Schrøder
Reinhard Strametz
Paulo Sousa
Bojana Knezevic
Kaja Pölluste
Eva Gil-Hernández
Hana Knežević Krajina
Sofia Guerra Paiva
Einav Srulovici
author_facet José Joaquín Mira
Irene Carrillo
Kris Vanhaecht
Deborah Seys
Massimiliano Panella
Susanna Tella
Katja Schrøder
Reinhard Strametz
Paulo Sousa
Bojana Knezevic
Kaja Pölluste
Eva Gil-Hernández
Hana Knežević Krajina
Sofia Guerra Paiva
Einav Srulovici
author_sort José Joaquín Mira
collection DOAJ
description Background The second victim (SV) experience limits the performance of health and care workers and places patients at risk. Peer support is recognised as the most effective, feasible and acceptable intervention to mitigate its impact.Objective To define a set of success factors when designing interventions to support SVs in health and care facilities based on expertise in different European countries.Setting International collaboration involving countries with diverse cultures, structures and legal frameworks.Design Qualitative research.Method Focus groups involving a total of 43 participants were conducted in five countries. Prominent professionals in European peer support interventions were engaged. Analysis of common elements considered key to the success of these programmes was underscored.Results Critical success factors for designing effective SV support interventions included the need for an occupational health approach, the establishment of a strong organisational safety culture, immediate psychological first aid, long-term resilience building, the engagement and training of peer supporters, the provision of adequate resources and ongoing support, the importance of leadership commitment and the necessity of tailoring interventions to the specific context and needs of each institution and country considering their diverse sociocultural and legal framework. The expected benefits included ensuring optimal patient care and reducing associated costs such as staff turnover and litigation.Conclusion Effective SV support interventions are essential for enhancing the resilience and performance of health and care workers, ultimately improving patient safety. By implementing tailored and well-resourced interventions, healthcare institutions can mitigate the negative impact of the SV phenomenon, promoting optimal care.
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spelling doaj-art-b7a29611cb0d498ab6792d1f71e349d82025-08-20T01:48:28ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-01-0115110.1136/bmjopen-2024-089923Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settingsJosé Joaquín Mira0Irene Carrillo1Kris Vanhaecht2Deborah Seys3Massimiliano Panella4Susanna Tella5Katja Schrøder6Reinhard Strametz7Paulo Sousa8Bojana Knezevic9Kaja Pölluste10Eva Gil-Hernández11Hana Knežević Krajina12Sofia Guerra Paiva13Einav Srulovici142 Alicante-Sant Joan Health District, Alicante, Spain1 Health Psychology, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Spain15 Department of Public Health, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium12 Department of Public Health and Primary Care - Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium11 Traslational Medicine, Amedeo Avogadro University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy8 University of Eastern Finland Faculty of Health Sciences, Kuopio, Finland6 Department of Public Health, Syddansk Universitet, Odense, Denmark4 Wiesbaden Business School, RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Wiesbaden, Germany9 National School of Public Health, NOVA university of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal10 University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia14 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia3 FISABIO, Elche, Spain5 Health Centre Zagreb Centar, Zagreb, Croatia9 National School of Public Health, NOVA university of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal13 University of Haifa, Haifa, IsraelBackground The second victim (SV) experience limits the performance of health and care workers and places patients at risk. Peer support is recognised as the most effective, feasible and acceptable intervention to mitigate its impact.Objective To define a set of success factors when designing interventions to support SVs in health and care facilities based on expertise in different European countries.Setting International collaboration involving countries with diverse cultures, structures and legal frameworks.Design Qualitative research.Method Focus groups involving a total of 43 participants were conducted in five countries. Prominent professionals in European peer support interventions were engaged. Analysis of common elements considered key to the success of these programmes was underscored.Results Critical success factors for designing effective SV support interventions included the need for an occupational health approach, the establishment of a strong organisational safety culture, immediate psychological first aid, long-term resilience building, the engagement and training of peer supporters, the provision of adequate resources and ongoing support, the importance of leadership commitment and the necessity of tailoring interventions to the specific context and needs of each institution and country considering their diverse sociocultural and legal framework. The expected benefits included ensuring optimal patient care and reducing associated costs such as staff turnover and litigation.Conclusion Effective SV support interventions are essential for enhancing the resilience and performance of health and care workers, ultimately improving patient safety. By implementing tailored and well-resourced interventions, healthcare institutions can mitigate the negative impact of the SV phenomenon, promoting optimal care.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e089923.full
spellingShingle José Joaquín Mira
Irene Carrillo
Kris Vanhaecht
Deborah Seys
Massimiliano Panella
Susanna Tella
Katja Schrøder
Reinhard Strametz
Paulo Sousa
Bojana Knezevic
Kaja Pölluste
Eva Gil-Hernández
Hana Knežević Krajina
Sofia Guerra Paiva
Einav Srulovici
Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settings
BMJ Open
title Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settings
title_full Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settings
title_fullStr Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settings
title_full_unstemmed Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settings
title_short Key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions: a focus group study in European clinical settings
title_sort key elements for designing effective second victim support interventions a focus group study in european clinical settings
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/1/e089923.full
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