Applicability and Validity of Second Victim Assessment Instruments among General Practitioners and Healthcare...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Healthcare Management
• Medical Ethics

Background:

• Second victim phenomenon and moral injury are recognized psychological harms for healthcare professionals.
• These phenomena pose risks to patients, staff, and institutions, leading to adverse events and dysfunction.
• Previous studies indicated high prevalence rates in Germany and Austria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of German instruments for assessing moral injury and second victim phenomena.
• To assess these phenomena in general practitioners and healthcare assistants.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide anonymous online survey was conducted in Germany.
• General practitioners and healthcare assistants completed the SeViD, G-SVESTR, and G-MISS-HP questionnaires.

Main Results:

• The questionnaires demonstrated good overall quality, except for collegial support items in G-SVESTR.
• Neuroticism, agreeableness, and scores on G-SVESTR and G-MISS-HP predicted symptom count.
• Moral injury partially mediated the relationship between second victim experience and symptom count.

Conclusions:

• The study confirmed the feasible use of the selected questionnaires for general practitioners and healthcare assistants.
• Moral injury may develop subsequent to the second victim phenomenon, significantly influencing symptom severity.
• Further research is needed to explore this relationship and address study limitations like selection bias.