49 research outputs found

    Healthcare Students and Medical Residents as Second Victims: A Cross-Sectional Study

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    Background: The term second victim (SV) describes healthcare professionals who remain traumatized after being involved in a patient safety incident (PSI). They can experience various emotional, psychological, and physical symptoms. The phenomenon is quite common; it has been estimated that half of hospital workers will be an SV at least once in their career. Because recent literature has reported high prevalence (>30%) among nursing students, we studied the phenomenon among the whole population of healthcare students. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire among nursing students, medical students, and resident physicians at the teaching hospital of the University of the Piemonte Orientale located in Novara, Italy. The study included 387 individuals: 128 nursing students, 174 medical students, and 85 residents. Results: We observed an overall PSI prevalence rate of 25.58% (lowest in medical students, 14.37%; highest in residents, 43.53%). Of these, 62.63% experienced symptoms typical of an SV. The most common temporary symptom was the feeling of working badly (51.52%), whereas the most common lasting symptom was hypervigilance (51.52%). Notably, none of the resident physicians involved in a PSI spoke to the patient or the patient's relatives. Conclusion: Our findings highlighted the risk incurred by healthcare students of becoming an SV, with a possible significant impact on their future professional and personal lives. Therefore, we suggest that academic institutions should play a more proactive role in providing support to those involved in a PSI

    Duration of second victim symptoms in the aftermath of a patient safety incident and association with the level of patient harm: A cross-sectional study in the Netherlands

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    OBJECTIVES: To describe healthcare providers' symptoms evoked by patient safety incidents (PSIs), the duration of these symptoms and the association with the degree of patient harm caused by the incident. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: 32 Dutch hospitals that participate in the 'Peer Support Collaborative'. PARTICIPANTS: 4369 healthcare providers (1619 doctors and 2750 nurses) involved in a PSI at any time during their career. INTERVENTIONS: All doctors and nurses working in direct patient care in the 32 participating hospitals were invited via email to participate in an online survey. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of symptoms, symptom duration and its relationship with the degree of patient harm. RESULTS: In total 4369 respondents were involved in a PSI and completely filled in the questionnaire. Of these, 462 reported having been involved in a PSI with permanent harm or death during the last 6 months. This had a personal, professional impact as well as impact on effective teamwork requirements. The impact of a PSI increased when the degree of patient harm was more severe. The most common symptom was hypervigilance (53.0%). The three most common symptoms related to teamwork were having doubts about knowledge and skill (27.0%), feeling unable to provide quality care (15.6%) and feeling uncomfortable within the team (15.5%). PSI with permanent harm or death was related to eightfold higher likelihood of provider-related symptoms lasting for more than 1\u2009month and ninefold lasting longer than 6\u2009months compared with symptoms reported when the PSI caused no harm. CONCLUSION: The impact of PSI remains an underestimated problem. The higher the degree of harm, the longer the symptoms last. Future studies should evaluate how these data can be integrated in evidence-based support systems

    Understanding the impact of care pathways on adherence to guidelines, patient outcomes and teamwork

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    Research showed that the adherence to clinical guidelines is low and highly variable across medical conditions and hospitals. During the last 10 years, care pathways have been introduced as one of the methods to reduce variation in care by increasing the adherence to clinical guidelines. Care pathways are defined as 'complex interventions for a well-defined group of patients during a well-defined period. The development and implementation of a care pathway is based on multidisciplinary teamwork, understanding the practical organization of care and the integration of a set of evidence based key interventions'. Care pathways research has several limitations. First of all, it’s hard to compare the adherence to guidelines and outcomes of different care pathways for a specific pathology because there is large variation in the implemented key interventions. Second, the effect of care pathways on the adherence to guidelines and in reducing the variation in clinical practice is not inclusive. Until now, no international prospective research has been performed to analyze the impact of care pathways on the adherence to clinical guidelines and to identify determinants which have an impact on the adherence to guidelines. Therefore, in this PhD study, we will analyse the impact of care pathways on the adherence to clinical guidelines based on international data on process, outcomes, team and organization for a surgical condition, patients with a proximal femur fracture, and a non-surgical condition, patients with a COPD exacerbation.status: publishe

    The Care Process Self-Evaluation Tool: a valid and reliable instrument for measuring care process organization of health care teams

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    Background: Patient safety can be increased by improving the organization of care. A tool that evaluates the actual organization of care, as perceived by multidisciplinary teams, is the Care Process Self-Evaluation Tool (CPSET). CPSET was developed in 2007 and includes 29 items in five subscales: (a) patient-focused organization, (b) coordination of the care process, (c) collaboration with primary care, (d) communication with patients and family, and (e) follow-up of the care process. The goal of the present study was to further evaluate the psychometric properties of the CPSET at the team and hospital levels and to compile a cutoff score table. Methods: The psychometric properties of the CPSET were assessed in a multicenter study in Belgium and the Netherlands. In total, 3139 team members from 114 hospitals participated. Psychometric properties were evaluated by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach’s alpha, interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), Kruskall-Wallis test, and Mann–Whitney test. For the cutoff score table, percentiles were used. Demographic variables were also evaluated. Results: CFA showed a good model fit: a normed fit index of 0.93, a comparative fit index of 0.94, an adjusted goodness-of-fit index of 0.87, and a root mean square error of approximation of 0.06. Cronbach’s alpha values were between 0.869 and 0.950. The team-level ICCs varied between 0.127 and 0.232 and were higher than those at the hospital level (0.071-0.151). Male team members scored significantly higher than females on 2 of the 5 subscales and on the overall CPSET. There were also significant differences among age groups. Medical doctors scored significantly higher on 4 of the 5 subscales and on the overall CPSET. Coordinators of care processes scored significantly lower on 2 of the 5 subscales and on the overall CPSET. Cutoff scores for all subscales and the overall CPSET were calculated. Conclusions: The CPSET is a valid and reliable instrument for health care teams to measure the extent care processes are organized. The cutoff table permits teams to compare how they perceive the organization of their care process relative to other teams

    Second victims among baccalaureate nursing students in the aftermath of a patient safety incident: An exploratory cross-sectional study

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    Background: A patient safety incident (PSI) is considered to have an impact on nursing students. Healthcare professionals often feel personally responsible for the unexpected patient outcome and feel as though they have failed their patient. In this way they may become second victims of the incident. Little is known about possible initiatives from hospitals or teaching institutions regarding the support of their students involved in a PSI. Aim: The study aims to examine the prevalence, symptoms and support in the aftermath of a PSI in baccalaureate nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional study in four teaching institutions for baccalaureate education across eleven campuses in Belgium. Students completed an online survey between February 2018 and March 2018. Results: About one in three (38.4%) students were involved in a PSI during their clinical experience. Of these, 84.7% experienced second victim symptoms. Most common symptoms were hypervigilance (65.7%), stress (42.5%) and doubting knowledge and skills (40.6%). Besides negative effects, the PSI also led to a more positive attitude. Students expect most support and room for open discussion from staff nurses (80.8%). Conclusion: Nursing students may already become second victims during their education. PSIs have a major impact on their performance and personal life. Students have the right for a decent treatment, respect, understanding and compassion, support, transparency and the opportunity to contribute to improving procedures. Teaching institutions should therefore bear the responsibility to prepare students of the probability of the occurrence of PSIs during their clinical experience
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