Patrice M. Weiss, MD

An estimated 98,000 Americans die each year due to medical errors. This is an attention-grabbing statistic—from the year 2000.¹ A recent study (published in 2016) reported that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, ranking just behind heart disease and cancer.²

As expected, much has been done to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety as a result of these publications. Quality, safety, and outcomes are paramount, as evidenced by the Institute of Health Care Improvement’s “triple aim”: reduce cost of care, improve quality of care, and improve patient outcomes.³

While these 3 aims are of paramount importance, this article seeks to portray the “quadruple aim,” with an additional focus on physician well-being. Patients and their families (first victims) are not the only ones affected by medical errors. Clinicians are, too, and these effects can be devastating. Here I offer concrete strategies to support providers involved in medical errors, including tips on developing a formal support program. First, however, I describe the devastating effects medical errors can have on providers and the signs of a second victim.

Related article:
Medical errors: Caring for the second victim (you)

The scope of the problem

In 2000, it was Dr. Albert Wu’s publication in The British Medical Journal titled “Medical Error: The Second Victim” (the doctor who makes mistakes needs help too), that first addressed this important topic.⁴ In his article he shared a case of another house officer who missed signs of a pericardial tamponade and was judged incompetent by peers due to his mistake.

As physicians, we do not intrinsically support colleagues who have experienced a medical error. We all have taken, with pride and commitment, our Hippocratic Oath of “do no harm,” yet we are often held to standards of perfection by society, peers, and, above all, ourselves. Have technologic wonders and precise laboratory tests supplanted the adage “doctors are only human”? Dr. Wu also points out in this landmark essay his observation and dismay at the lack of empathy, sympathy, and compassion shown by peers when medical errors occur. All of these elements are needed for the healing of those involved to take place. If they are not provided, dysfunctional coping mechanisms ensue.⁴

Incidence of medical errors

Despite the Institute of Medicine report from 2000¹ and the recent study from Johns Hopkins,² determining the exact number of errors and incidents is not easy. Most data reporting is sparse. A prospective longitudinal study of perceived medical errors and resident distress estimated medical errors to be between 5% and 10% in hospitalized patients, but that it could be up to 50%.⁵ According to a 2005 study, approximately one-third of internal medicine residents report at least 1 major medical error during their 3 years of training, while 18% of multidisciplinary residents report an adverse event under their care in the previous week.⁶

Related article:
Medical errors: Meeting ethical obligations and reducing liability with proper communication

Who is at risk of becoming a second victim?

Any and all clinicians can become a second victim, and the state can be realized at varying points in the process of an experienced medical error. The circumstances of the initial error and the severity of the effect on the patient and/or the damaged physician−patient relationship can affect whether or not there is a second victim. A second victim also can emerge as a result of peers’ or colleagues’ comments and lack of empathy or support. Certainly a lawsuit can produce a second victim.⁷

How often do physicians become second victims?

The prevalence of second victims has a large variation in estimates. A 2006 study estimates a prevalence of 10.4%.⁸ In 2010, the estimate was 30%, and a prevalence of 43.3% was reported in 2000.^9,10 Regarding emotional distress within a year of a major adverse event, 30% of almost 900 providers reported these feelings.¹¹ Other studies note 50% of health care workers reported feelings consistent with those of a second victim.⁷

Next: What are the symptoms of a second victim?

The signs of, and long-lasting risks for, a second victim

Second victims are at risk for several well-documented symptoms, regardless of their stage of training, including⁶:

• depression (in fact, they have a 3-fold risk)
• decrease in overall quality of life
• increase in burnout
• increase in feelings of distress, guilt, and shame, which may be long lasting.

Health care providers as second victims also may experience shock and hopelessness, sleep disturbance, social avoidance, intrusive thoughts and nightmares, and poor memory and concentration. Interestingly, these emotions and reactions are indistinguishable from posttraumatic stress disorder. These continued symptoms can have short- and long-term implications for physicians, patients, and the health care organization.¹²

Next: How to support those affected by a medical error

How to support all of those affected by a medical error

Over the past decade or so, much attention has been paid to creating safer health systems, improving outcomes and patient satisfaction, and recognizing the needs of patients and families of first victims when medical errors occur. Much less has been done to acknowledge and address the needs of struggling clinicians.

Provide nurturing discussions and sympathy

Hospital systems do have embedded processes to review outcomes and medical errors, including, among others, peer review, quality improvement, morbidity and mortality review, and root cause analysis. Unfortunately, often a “name, blame, shame game” can result from the overall process, with certain individuals or groups of individuals singled out, and only worsen the incidence and effects of the second victim. Ideally, system processes for addressing medical errors should allow for an environment more focused on nurturing discussions to prevent error and recognize all the factors contributing to an error.

Of course in any outcome or error investigation, the goal is to identify what happened, what factors contributed to the incident, and what can be done to prevent future occurrences. The concern for the family as priority is understandable, as is the desire to prevent a lawsuit. The lack of attention and sympathy to the health care provider involved contributes to the second victim.⁷

It is all too easy to blame, even in a Just Culture. Deficiencies in sympathy and attention can occur without a system whose culture is focused on “name, blame, shame.” A Just Culture, as defined by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is one in which individuals come forward with a mistake without fear of punishment. Such a culture balances the need to learn from our mistakes and the need to have disciplinary action.¹³

David Marx, an outcomes engineer and author of “Whack a Mole: The Price We Pay for Expecting Perfection,” touts a Just Culture as one having the following sets of beliefs:

• recognition that professionals will make mistakes
• recognition that even professionals will develop unhealthy norms
• a fierce intolerance for reckless conduct.

He strongly asserts that human error be consoled while reckless behavior be punished.¹⁴ Punishing human error is a setup for the second victim.

Read on for tips to develop a coping program

Tips for developing a coping program

In 2009, Scott and colleagues described 6 stages of a second victim. These are:

• Stage 1: Chaos and event repair
• Stage 2: Intrusive thoughts, “what if”
• Stage 3: Restoring personal identity
• Stage 4: Enduring the inquisition
• Stage 5: Obtaining emotional first aid
• Stage 6: Moving on or dropping out; surviving and/or thriving

Throughout the stages, second victims look for support and share their experience of the medical error event, as well as their personal and professional impact of the error.¹⁵

A 2007 study that examined the emotional impact of medical errors on physicians revealed some startling data. A full 82% of physicians expressed interest in counseling to help cope with their distress. And 90% felt there was inadequate support at their hospitals or health care organizations for this distress.¹⁶

Use The Joint Commission’s toolkit

Unfortunately, there are only a few well-documented second-victim support programs in the United States, despite the growing evidence of the emotional distress that second victims experience. Many hospitals do not know how to develop or implement such a support system. Recognizing this challenge, The Joint Commission developed a toolkit to assist health care organizations in developing a second-victim program. The toolkit consists of 10 modules (TABLE) designed to assist organizations not only to implement a second-victim support process but also to customize it to their specific institutional culture. This toolkit can be downloaded for free or used online. Within the first year of its availability, over 6,000 people visited the website and there were more than 700 requests for a download.¹⁷

Follow forYOU’s example

An example and well-recognized second-victim support program is the “forYOU” team at the University of Missouri. The program is free to employees, confidential, and available 24-7. Its purpose is “providing care and support to our staff,” by helping members understand the phenomenon of the second victim and quickly returning members to a satisfying professional practice.¹⁸

The “forYOU” team was created in 2007 under the direction of the University of Missouri Health Care’s Office of Clinical Effectiveness with the goals of increasing institutional awareness, providing a second victim with a “safe zone,” and allowing for the expression of emotions and reactions in a confidential setting. Team members are multidisciplinary and include physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, and chaplains. They strive to normalize the feelings and thoughts second victims experience after a stressful outcome or event. Team members are highly trained in second-victim responses and the stages of coping. The program has established institutional actions to each of the 6 stages (FIGURE).¹⁹

Read on to learn how peer mentors are crucial to a support program

Establish TRUST

At the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, we too have developed a second-victim support program for all of our employees: TRUST. In the beginning stages, we quickly reaffirmed the challenges in developing such a program.

Initial challenges you will face. First, education on what a second victim is needs to be recognized. The fact that not everyone experiences second-victim emotions needs to be validated. Administrators and staff must be convinced that needing support is not a sign of weakness. And the program must ensure confidentiality and recruit mentors. These are just a few of the obstacles we faced on our path to program realization. Our journey to develop our second-victim program was approximately 5 years and required participation, affirmation, and support from all levels of the organization.

Our program name embodies its inherent purpose and goals. TRUST stands for:

• Treatment that is just. Second victims deserve the right of a presumption that their intentions were good, and should be able to depend on organizational leaders for integrity, fairness, just treatment, and shared accountability for outcomes.
• Respect. Second victims deserve respect and common decency and should not be blamed and shamed for human fallibility.
• Understanding and compassion. Second victims need compassionate help to grieve and heal.
• Supportive care. Second victims are entitled to psychological and support services that are delivered in a professional and organized way.
• Transparency and opportunity to contribute. Second victims have a right to participate in the learning gathered from the event, to share important causal information with the organization, and to be provided with an opportunity to heal by contributing to the prevention of future events.

Employ peer mentors, who serve a vital role

We have identified the need to develop a more direct and active approach to the TRUST program’s recruitment and established a subcommittee to begin this process. We began by asking leaders to nominate potential peer mentors and spoke about the program and asked for volunteers at various hospital committees. Once we had most disciplines represented, leaders were asked to take an assessment for emotional intelligence.

Other than the initial training for the TRUST program, the time requirement for participation for peer mentors is likely less than an hour per month. The dedicated time certainly is dependent on how much support the second victim is requiring, however, and varies. We encourage the peer supporters to be aware of their time constraints and establish parameters for the relationship in a direct but supportive way.

Since the inception of the TRUST Team in September 2014, we have trained 12 peer mentors, 10 of whom currently still serve in that capacity. We have 3 additional peers awaiting training. To date, The TRUST team has supported 19 clinicians/staff, including 3 ACPs, 9 nurses, 6 physicians, and 1 other (pharmacist). Of those 10, 3 are still actively receiving support so closing data have yet to be collected. Of the 16 who have been closed, 6 were referred for ongoing support and 10 were able to return to baseline with TRUST Team Supports.

Related article:
Who is liable when a surgical error occurs?

Just surviving the medical error is not the goal

Medical errors are inevitable, and the effects on providers can be devastating. It is important that physicians and institutions are aware of the signs and symptoms of a second victim as well as provide support to them. Institutions must have a just culture in which all members of the health care team can come forward with medical errors without the fear of punishment. Ideally, these institutions also have a second-victim support system that identifies those who need assistance and assist all health care clinicians not only to survive the effects of medical errors but also to thrive after receiving the necessary support.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

An estimated 98,000 Americans die each year due to medical errors. This is an attention-grabbing statistic—from the year 2000.¹ A recent study (published in 2016) reported that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, ranking just behind heart disease and cancer.²

As expected, much has been done to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety as a result of these publications. Quality, safety, and outcomes are paramount, as evidenced by the Institute of Health Care Improvement’s “triple aim”: reduce cost of care, improve quality of care, and improve patient outcomes.³

While these 3 aims are of paramount importance, this article seeks to portray the “quadruple aim,” with an additional focus on physician well-being. Patients and their families (first victims) are not the only ones affected by medical errors. Clinicians are, too, and these effects can be devastating. Here I offer concrete strategies to support providers involved in medical errors, including tips on developing a formal support program. First, however, I describe the devastating effects medical errors can have on providers and the signs of a second victim.

Related article:
Medical errors: Caring for the second victim (you)

The scope of the problem

In 2000, it was Dr. Albert Wu’s publication in The British Medical Journal titled “Medical Error: The Second Victim” (the doctor who makes mistakes needs help too), that first addressed this important topic.⁴ In his article he shared a case of another house officer who missed signs of a pericardial tamponade and was judged incompetent by peers due to his mistake.

As physicians, we do not intrinsically support colleagues who have experienced a medical error. We all have taken, with pride and commitment, our Hippocratic Oath of “do no harm,” yet we are often held to standards of perfection by society, peers, and, above all, ourselves. Have technologic wonders and precise laboratory tests supplanted the adage “doctors are only human”? Dr. Wu also points out in this landmark essay his observation and dismay at the lack of empathy, sympathy, and compassion shown by peers when medical errors occur. All of these elements are needed for the healing of those involved to take place. If they are not provided, dysfunctional coping mechanisms ensue.⁴

Incidence of medical errors

Despite the Institute of Medicine report from 2000¹ and the recent study from Johns Hopkins,² determining the exact number of errors and incidents is not easy. Most data reporting is sparse. A prospective longitudinal study of perceived medical errors and resident distress estimated medical errors to be between 5% and 10% in hospitalized patients, but that it could be up to 50%.⁵ According to a 2005 study, approximately one-third of internal medicine residents report at least 1 major medical error during their 3 years of training, while 18% of multidisciplinary residents report an adverse event under their care in the previous week.⁶

Related article:
Medical errors: Meeting ethical obligations and reducing liability with proper communication

Who is at risk of becoming a second victim?

Any and all clinicians can become a second victim, and the state can be realized at varying points in the process of an experienced medical error. The circumstances of the initial error and the severity of the effect on the patient and/or the damaged physician−patient relationship can affect whether or not there is a second victim. A second victim also can emerge as a result of peers’ or colleagues’ comments and lack of empathy or support. Certainly a lawsuit can produce a second victim.⁷

How often do physicians become second victims?

The prevalence of second victims has a large variation in estimates. A 2006 study estimates a prevalence of 10.4%.⁸ In 2010, the estimate was 30%, and a prevalence of 43.3% was reported in 2000.^9,10 Regarding emotional distress within a year of a major adverse event, 30% of almost 900 providers reported these feelings.¹¹ Other studies note 50% of health care workers reported feelings consistent with those of a second victim.⁷

Next: What are the symptoms of a second victim?

The signs of, and long-lasting risks for, a second victim

Second victims are at risk for several well-documented symptoms, regardless of their stage of training, including⁶:

• depression (in fact, they have a 3-fold risk)
• decrease in overall quality of life
• increase in burnout
• increase in feelings of distress, guilt, and shame, which may be long lasting.

Health care providers as second victims also may experience shock and hopelessness, sleep disturbance, social avoidance, intrusive thoughts and nightmares, and poor memory and concentration. Interestingly, these emotions and reactions are indistinguishable from posttraumatic stress disorder. These continued symptoms can have short- and long-term implications for physicians, patients, and the health care organization.¹²

Next: How to support those affected by a medical error

How to support all of those affected by a medical error

Over the past decade or so, much attention has been paid to creating safer health systems, improving outcomes and patient satisfaction, and recognizing the needs of patients and families of first victims when medical errors occur. Much less has been done to acknowledge and address the needs of struggling clinicians.

Provide nurturing discussions and sympathy

Hospital systems do have embedded processes to review outcomes and medical errors, including, among others, peer review, quality improvement, morbidity and mortality review, and root cause analysis. Unfortunately, often a “name, blame, shame game” can result from the overall process, with certain individuals or groups of individuals singled out, and only worsen the incidence and effects of the second victim. Ideally, system processes for addressing medical errors should allow for an environment more focused on nurturing discussions to prevent error and recognize all the factors contributing to an error.

Of course in any outcome or error investigation, the goal is to identify what happened, what factors contributed to the incident, and what can be done to prevent future occurrences. The concern for the family as priority is understandable, as is the desire to prevent a lawsuit. The lack of attention and sympathy to the health care provider involved contributes to the second victim.⁷

It is all too easy to blame, even in a Just Culture. Deficiencies in sympathy and attention can occur without a system whose culture is focused on “name, blame, shame.” A Just Culture, as defined by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is one in which individuals come forward with a mistake without fear of punishment. Such a culture balances the need to learn from our mistakes and the need to have disciplinary action.¹³

David Marx, an outcomes engineer and author of “Whack a Mole: The Price We Pay for Expecting Perfection,” touts a Just Culture as one having the following sets of beliefs:

• recognition that professionals will make mistakes
• recognition that even professionals will develop unhealthy norms
• a fierce intolerance for reckless conduct.

He strongly asserts that human error be consoled while reckless behavior be punished.¹⁴ Punishing human error is a setup for the second victim.

Read on for tips to develop a coping program

Tips for developing a coping program

In 2009, Scott and colleagues described 6 stages of a second victim. These are:

• Stage 1: Chaos and event repair
• Stage 2: Intrusive thoughts, “what if”
• Stage 3: Restoring personal identity
• Stage 4: Enduring the inquisition
• Stage 5: Obtaining emotional first aid
• Stage 6: Moving on or dropping out; surviving and/or thriving

Throughout the stages, second victims look for support and share their experience of the medical error event, as well as their personal and professional impact of the error.¹⁵

A 2007 study that examined the emotional impact of medical errors on physicians revealed some startling data. A full 82% of physicians expressed interest in counseling to help cope with their distress. And 90% felt there was inadequate support at their hospitals or health care organizations for this distress.¹⁶

Use The Joint Commission’s toolkit

Unfortunately, there are only a few well-documented second-victim support programs in the United States, despite the growing evidence of the emotional distress that second victims experience. Many hospitals do not know how to develop or implement such a support system. Recognizing this challenge, The Joint Commission developed a toolkit to assist health care organizations in developing a second-victim program. The toolkit consists of 10 modules (TABLE) designed to assist organizations not only to implement a second-victim support process but also to customize it to their specific institutional culture. This toolkit can be downloaded for free or used online. Within the first year of its availability, over 6,000 people visited the website and there were more than 700 requests for a download.¹⁷

Follow forYOU’s example

An example and well-recognized second-victim support program is the “forYOU” team at the University of Missouri. The program is free to employees, confidential, and available 24-7. Its purpose is “providing care and support to our staff,” by helping members understand the phenomenon of the second victim and quickly returning members to a satisfying professional practice.¹⁸

The “forYOU” team was created in 2007 under the direction of the University of Missouri Health Care’s Office of Clinical Effectiveness with the goals of increasing institutional awareness, providing a second victim with a “safe zone,” and allowing for the expression of emotions and reactions in a confidential setting. Team members are multidisciplinary and include physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, and chaplains. They strive to normalize the feelings and thoughts second victims experience after a stressful outcome or event. Team members are highly trained in second-victim responses and the stages of coping. The program has established institutional actions to each of the 6 stages (FIGURE).¹⁹

Read on to learn how peer mentors are crucial to a support program

Establish TRUST

At the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, we too have developed a second-victim support program for all of our employees: TRUST. In the beginning stages, we quickly reaffirmed the challenges in developing such a program.

Initial challenges you will face. First, education on what a second victim is needs to be recognized. The fact that not everyone experiences second-victim emotions needs to be validated. Administrators and staff must be convinced that needing support is not a sign of weakness. And the program must ensure confidentiality and recruit mentors. These are just a few of the obstacles we faced on our path to program realization. Our journey to develop our second-victim program was approximately 5 years and required participation, affirmation, and support from all levels of the organization.

Our program name embodies its inherent purpose and goals. TRUST stands for:

• Treatment that is just. Second victims deserve the right of a presumption that their intentions were good, and should be able to depend on organizational leaders for integrity, fairness, just treatment, and shared accountability for outcomes.
• Respect. Second victims deserve respect and common decency and should not be blamed and shamed for human fallibility.
• Understanding and compassion. Second victims need compassionate help to grieve and heal.
• Supportive care. Second victims are entitled to psychological and support services that are delivered in a professional and organized way.
• Transparency and opportunity to contribute. Second victims have a right to participate in the learning gathered from the event, to share important causal information with the organization, and to be provided with an opportunity to heal by contributing to the prevention of future events.

Employ peer mentors, who serve a vital role

We have identified the need to develop a more direct and active approach to the TRUST program’s recruitment and established a subcommittee to begin this process. We began by asking leaders to nominate potential peer mentors and spoke about the program and asked for volunteers at various hospital committees. Once we had most disciplines represented, leaders were asked to take an assessment for emotional intelligence.

Other than the initial training for the TRUST program, the time requirement for participation for peer mentors is likely less than an hour per month. The dedicated time certainly is dependent on how much support the second victim is requiring, however, and varies. We encourage the peer supporters to be aware of their time constraints and establish parameters for the relationship in a direct but supportive way.

Since the inception of the TRUST Team in September 2014, we have trained 12 peer mentors, 10 of whom currently still serve in that capacity. We have 3 additional peers awaiting training. To date, The TRUST team has supported 19 clinicians/staff, including 3 ACPs, 9 nurses, 6 physicians, and 1 other (pharmacist). Of those 10, 3 are still actively receiving support so closing data have yet to be collected. Of the 16 who have been closed, 6 were referred for ongoing support and 10 were able to return to baseline with TRUST Team Supports.

Related article:
Who is liable when a surgical error occurs?

Just surviving the medical error is not the goal

Medical errors are inevitable, and the effects on providers can be devastating. It is important that physicians and institutions are aware of the signs and symptoms of a second victim as well as provide support to them. Institutions must have a just culture in which all members of the health care team can come forward with medical errors without the fear of punishment. Ideally, these institutions also have a second-victim support system that identifies those who need assistance and assist all health care clinicians not only to survive the effects of medical errors but also to thrive after receiving the necessary support.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

An estimated 98,000 Americans die each year due to medical errors. This is an attention-grabbing statistic—from the year 2000.¹ A recent study (published in 2016) reported that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, ranking just behind heart disease and cancer.²

As expected, much has been done to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety as a result of these publications. Quality, safety, and outcomes are paramount, as evidenced by the Institute of Health Care Improvement’s “triple aim”: reduce cost of care, improve quality of care, and improve patient outcomes.³

While these 3 aims are of paramount importance, this article seeks to portray the “quadruple aim,” with an additional focus on physician well-being. Patients and their families (first victims) are not the only ones affected by medical errors. Clinicians are, too, and these effects can be devastating. Here I offer concrete strategies to support providers involved in medical errors, including tips on developing a formal support program. First, however, I describe the devastating effects medical errors can have on providers and the signs of a second victim.

Related article:
Medical errors: Caring for the second victim (you)

The scope of the problem

In 2000, it was Dr. Albert Wu’s publication in The British Medical Journal titled “Medical Error: The Second Victim” (the doctor who makes mistakes needs help too), that first addressed this important topic.⁴ In his article he shared a case of another house officer who missed signs of a pericardial tamponade and was judged incompetent by peers due to his mistake.

As physicians, we do not intrinsically support colleagues who have experienced a medical error. We all have taken, with pride and commitment, our Hippocratic Oath of “do no harm,” yet we are often held to standards of perfection by society, peers, and, above all, ourselves. Have technologic wonders and precise laboratory tests supplanted the adage “doctors are only human”? Dr. Wu also points out in this landmark essay his observation and dismay at the lack of empathy, sympathy, and compassion shown by peers when medical errors occur. All of these elements are needed for the healing of those involved to take place. If they are not provided, dysfunctional coping mechanisms ensue.⁴

Incidence of medical errors

Despite the Institute of Medicine report from 2000¹ and the recent study from Johns Hopkins,² determining the exact number of errors and incidents is not easy. Most data reporting is sparse. A prospective longitudinal study of perceived medical errors and resident distress estimated medical errors to be between 5% and 10% in hospitalized patients, but that it could be up to 50%.⁵ According to a 2005 study, approximately one-third of internal medicine residents report at least 1 major medical error during their 3 years of training, while 18% of multidisciplinary residents report an adverse event under their care in the previous week.⁶

Related article:
Medical errors: Meeting ethical obligations and reducing liability with proper communication

Who is at risk of becoming a second victim?

Any and all clinicians can become a second victim, and the state can be realized at varying points in the process of an experienced medical error. The circumstances of the initial error and the severity of the effect on the patient and/or the damaged physician−patient relationship can affect whether or not there is a second victim. A second victim also can emerge as a result of peers’ or colleagues’ comments and lack of empathy or support. Certainly a lawsuit can produce a second victim.⁷

How often do physicians become second victims?

The prevalence of second victims has a large variation in estimates. A 2006 study estimates a prevalence of 10.4%.⁸ In 2010, the estimate was 30%, and a prevalence of 43.3% was reported in 2000.^9,10 Regarding emotional distress within a year of a major adverse event, 30% of almost 900 providers reported these feelings.¹¹ Other studies note 50% of health care workers reported feelings consistent with those of a second victim.⁷

Next: What are the symptoms of a second victim?

The signs of, and long-lasting risks for, a second victim

Second victims are at risk for several well-documented symptoms, regardless of their stage of training, including⁶:

• depression (in fact, they have a 3-fold risk)
• decrease in overall quality of life
• increase in burnout
• increase in feelings of distress, guilt, and shame, which may be long lasting.

Health care providers as second victims also may experience shock and hopelessness, sleep disturbance, social avoidance, intrusive thoughts and nightmares, and poor memory and concentration. Interestingly, these emotions and reactions are indistinguishable from posttraumatic stress disorder. These continued symptoms can have short- and long-term implications for physicians, patients, and the health care organization.¹²

Next: How to support those affected by a medical error

How to support all of those affected by a medical error

Over the past decade or so, much attention has been paid to creating safer health systems, improving outcomes and patient satisfaction, and recognizing the needs of patients and families of first victims when medical errors occur. Much less has been done to acknowledge and address the needs of struggling clinicians.

Provide nurturing discussions and sympathy

Hospital systems do have embedded processes to review outcomes and medical errors, including, among others, peer review, quality improvement, morbidity and mortality review, and root cause analysis. Unfortunately, often a “name, blame, shame game” can result from the overall process, with certain individuals or groups of individuals singled out, and only worsen the incidence and effects of the second victim. Ideally, system processes for addressing medical errors should allow for an environment more focused on nurturing discussions to prevent error and recognize all the factors contributing to an error.

Of course in any outcome or error investigation, the goal is to identify what happened, what factors contributed to the incident, and what can be done to prevent future occurrences. The concern for the family as priority is understandable, as is the desire to prevent a lawsuit. The lack of attention and sympathy to the health care provider involved contributes to the second victim.⁷

It is all too easy to blame, even in a Just Culture. Deficiencies in sympathy and attention can occur without a system whose culture is focused on “name, blame, shame.” A Just Culture, as defined by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, is one in which individuals come forward with a mistake without fear of punishment. Such a culture balances the need to learn from our mistakes and the need to have disciplinary action.¹³

David Marx, an outcomes engineer and author of “Whack a Mole: The Price We Pay for Expecting Perfection,” touts a Just Culture as one having the following sets of beliefs:

• recognition that professionals will make mistakes
• recognition that even professionals will develop unhealthy norms
• a fierce intolerance for reckless conduct.

He strongly asserts that human error be consoled while reckless behavior be punished.¹⁴ Punishing human error is a setup for the second victim.

Read on for tips to develop a coping program

Tips for developing a coping program

In 2009, Scott and colleagues described 6 stages of a second victim. These are:

• Stage 1: Chaos and event repair
• Stage 2: Intrusive thoughts, “what if”
• Stage 3: Restoring personal identity
• Stage 4: Enduring the inquisition
• Stage 5: Obtaining emotional first aid
• Stage 6: Moving on or dropping out; surviving and/or thriving

Throughout the stages, second victims look for support and share their experience of the medical error event, as well as their personal and professional impact of the error.¹⁵

A 2007 study that examined the emotional impact of medical errors on physicians revealed some startling data. A full 82% of physicians expressed interest in counseling to help cope with their distress. And 90% felt there was inadequate support at their hospitals or health care organizations for this distress.¹⁶

Use The Joint Commission’s toolkit

Unfortunately, there are only a few well-documented second-victim support programs in the United States, despite the growing evidence of the emotional distress that second victims experience. Many hospitals do not know how to develop or implement such a support system. Recognizing this challenge, The Joint Commission developed a toolkit to assist health care organizations in developing a second-victim program. The toolkit consists of 10 modules (TABLE) designed to assist organizations not only to implement a second-victim support process but also to customize it to their specific institutional culture. This toolkit can be downloaded for free or used online. Within the first year of its availability, over 6,000 people visited the website and there were more than 700 requests for a download.¹⁷

Follow forYOU’s example

An example and well-recognized second-victim support program is the “forYOU” team at the University of Missouri. The program is free to employees, confidential, and available 24-7. Its purpose is “providing care and support to our staff,” by helping members understand the phenomenon of the second victim and quickly returning members to a satisfying professional practice.¹⁸

The “forYOU” team was created in 2007 under the direction of the University of Missouri Health Care’s Office of Clinical Effectiveness with the goals of increasing institutional awareness, providing a second victim with a “safe zone,” and allowing for the expression of emotions and reactions in a confidential setting. Team members are multidisciplinary and include physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, and chaplains. They strive to normalize the feelings and thoughts second victims experience after a stressful outcome or event. Team members are highly trained in second-victim responses and the stages of coping. The program has established institutional actions to each of the 6 stages (FIGURE).¹⁹

Read on to learn how peer mentors are crucial to a support program

Establish TRUST

At the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, we too have developed a second-victim support program for all of our employees: TRUST. In the beginning stages, we quickly reaffirmed the challenges in developing such a program.

Initial challenges you will face. First, education on what a second victim is needs to be recognized. The fact that not everyone experiences second-victim emotions needs to be validated. Administrators and staff must be convinced that needing support is not a sign of weakness. And the program must ensure confidentiality and recruit mentors. These are just a few of the obstacles we faced on our path to program realization. Our journey to develop our second-victim program was approximately 5 years and required participation, affirmation, and support from all levels of the organization.

Our program name embodies its inherent purpose and goals. TRUST stands for:

• Treatment that is just. Second victims deserve the right of a presumption that their intentions were good, and should be able to depend on organizational leaders for integrity, fairness, just treatment, and shared accountability for outcomes.
• Respect. Second victims deserve respect and common decency and should not be blamed and shamed for human fallibility.
• Understanding and compassion. Second victims need compassionate help to grieve and heal.
• Supportive care. Second victims are entitled to psychological and support services that are delivered in a professional and organized way.
• Transparency and opportunity to contribute. Second victims have a right to participate in the learning gathered from the event, to share important causal information with the organization, and to be provided with an opportunity to heal by contributing to the prevention of future events.

Employ peer mentors, who serve a vital role

We have identified the need to develop a more direct and active approach to the TRUST program’s recruitment and established a subcommittee to begin this process. We began by asking leaders to nominate potential peer mentors and spoke about the program and asked for volunteers at various hospital committees. Once we had most disciplines represented, leaders were asked to take an assessment for emotional intelligence.

Other than the initial training for the TRUST program, the time requirement for participation for peer mentors is likely less than an hour per month. The dedicated time certainly is dependent on how much support the second victim is requiring, however, and varies. We encourage the peer supporters to be aware of their time constraints and establish parameters for the relationship in a direct but supportive way.

Since the inception of the TRUST Team in September 2014, we have trained 12 peer mentors, 10 of whom currently still serve in that capacity. We have 3 additional peers awaiting training. To date, The TRUST team has supported 19 clinicians/staff, including 3 ACPs, 9 nurses, 6 physicians, and 1 other (pharmacist). Of those 10, 3 are still actively receiving support so closing data have yet to be collected. Of the 16 who have been closed, 6 were referred for ongoing support and 10 were able to return to baseline with TRUST Team Supports.

Related article:
Who is liable when a surgical error occurs?

Just surviving the medical error is not the goal

Medical errors are inevitable, and the effects on providers can be devastating. It is important that physicians and institutions are aware of the signs and symptoms of a second victim as well as provide support to them. Institutions must have a just culture in which all members of the health care team can come forward with medical errors without the fear of punishment. Ideally, these institutions also have a second-victim support system that identifies those who need assistance and assist all health care clinicians not only to survive the effects of medical errors but also to thrive after receiving the necessary support.

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

In her position as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Patrice Weiss leads efforts not only to assure clinical excellence from the more than 900 clinicians at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, but also to improve patient experience. She lectures extensively on one of her passions in medicine: medical errors, and the concept of the second victim. OBG Management has discussed with Dr. Weiss her concerns and pointers for those clinicians both involved in and in close proximity to others who have been involved in a medical error, and how this involvement can lead to personal consequences and coping challenges. (Listen to, “Medical errors: Caring for the second victim [you].”) In this current Q&A article, the conversation hones in on unanticipated outcomes with and without medical errors and how best to approach communications with patients in the context of both circumstances.

OBG Management: What is the definition of a medical error?
Patrice M. Weiss, MD: Clinicians may be somewhat surprised to learn that there is no universal definition of a medical error that sets standardized nomenclature. The Institute of Medicine, in its landmark work To Err Is Human, adopted this definition: “failure of a planned action to be completed as intended, or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.”¹

In general terms, a medical error is an act of commission or omission, meaning that something was done or not done, that has negative consequences for the patient and is judged as wrong by our peers. An unanticipated outcome can be due to a medical error or can occur without a medical error. An unpredicted side effect, for instance—one that may have a low probability of drug–drug interaction or drug reaction occurrence—is an unexpected outcome. If the incidence of a drug reaction is 1 in 1,000 and your patient is that one, it does not necessarily mean that there was a medical error.

Often, if the outcome is unanticipated, patients and their families will assume, rightly or wrongly, that a medical error did occur.

OBG Management: Are physicians required to disclose medical errors?
Dr. Weiss: Yes. The Joint Commission’s standard principle states that the responsible licensed independent practitioner, or his or her designee, clearly explain the outcome of any treatment or procedure to the patient and, when appropriate, the patient’s family, whenever those outcomes differ significantly from the anticipated outcome.²

This can even include unanticipated outcomes that are not due to an error. Specifically speaking about medical errors, however, we do have the responsibility, both from this standard and from a professional and ethical standard to disclose what, why, and how the error occurred and what we are going to do to ensure it does not happen again.

OBG Management: How does a physician best communicate to a patient an unanticipated outcome that was not due to a medical error?
Dr. Weiss: Usually we as health care providers are more comfortable talking about unanticipated outcomes without medical errors. It is important to, when speaking with patients, be clear and concise, describing what you best know at the time, in language that patients can understand. I often jokingly say that, at a minimum, all of us in health care are bilingual: We speak our native language, and we speak “medicine.”

After describing unanticipated outcomes to patients and their families in terms they understand, affirm their understanding with a follow-up open-ended question. “Do you understand what I just said to you?” is ineffective. A better approach is saying, “Mrs. Jones, in your own words, will you describe back to me what your understanding is as to why this happened?” The answer received will allow you to know the patient’s level of understanding. It also will give you the opportunity to clear up points that are not clear or were misinterpreted. Do not leave patients feeling in a “lurch,” left to wonder or with a lack of understanding, or worse yet, with a sense that you are holding something back.

OBG Management: What is the best approach to disclosing an unanticipated outcome that was due to a medical error?
Dr. Weiss: First and foremost, you must be certain that a medical error did actually occur. There can be speculation at first, and that speculation should occur behind the scenes, with peer review or a root cause analysis on the event. Speculation should not enter into your conversation with the patient. Notional language can add to their anxiety, create mistrust on the patient’s part, and perhaps make a patient feel as if you are not giving the answers that he or she needs.

When it is believed that a medical error did occur, there are several things that need to be done:

1. Gather as much information at the event as possible.
2. Notify the hospital (ie, risk management or quality or patient safety). This is important because it is an organizational approach to medical errors when they do occur.
3. Support the patient and the patient’s family through the entire process. Speaking to the patient and the family may be a part of ascertaining what happened and contributing factors. Clinicians have said to me, “Well, I can’t really go talk to the patient or the patient’s family right now because I don’t really know everything that happened.” Keep in mind, however, that the longer you wait to talk to the patient and family, the more time they have to speculate and to ask other people, perhaps those not involved and with no knowledge of, what happened.

OBG Management: What is the best timing and location for the disclosure conversation?
Dr. Weiss: The person who is responsible for the patient who was involved in the medical error needs to have the disclosure conversation. The conversation with the patient, and the family if the patient so desires, should occur as soon as possible. However, take into consideration the patient being awake, coherent, and not under the influence of medications. With those caveats, the best time to speak is when it is convenient for the patient. Do not plug this conversation into a 10-minute opening in your busy schedule. The conversation could take an hour, or it could take 15 minutes. It should not be conducted as a matter of convenience to the clinician.

In addition, often times the recovery room is not the best location—it is not private and confidential, and the patient is still groggy and will be unable to remember most of what is said or ask questions as needed.

OBG Management: You advocate a “TEAM” approach when speaking with the patient. What is TEAM?
Dr. Weiss: Disclosure conversations are not easy to have. The patient and the patient’s family are often upset. Medical errors challenge a physician’s humility and integrity, and they can lead to questioning of one’s own ability. I adopted the helpful pneumonic TEAM after first learning about it at what is now known as the Institute for Healthcare Communication. It refers to what parties need to be notified and who needs to be present with you when having a disclosure conversation. Of course, you want someone there who not only can serve as a witness but also can help facilitate the gathering of answers for questions that will be asked. The best person for this job could be the lead physician involved in the care of the patient, a hospital risk manager, a colleague, or the patient safety officer.

The “T” stands for truthful. When you begin the conversation, tell the patient at that point what you know to be true and what you know may have happened or definitely did not happen that contributed to the outcome. Again, do not speculate in answering the patient’s questions. A good approach is to say, “This is what I know happened. As of right now, this is what I know may have contributed or did contribute. We are going to be looking into this more thoroughly. As I learn more, you will be the first to know.”

These are not one-time conversations. As you do learn more, circle back and talk to the patient and family. This can be a dialogue that goes on for weeks or even months.

“E” equals empathy. Allow the patient and the patient’s family to ventilate. Try to understand what is it that they are most upset about, and try to soothe these upset feelings. For example, do not make the assumption that they are most upset about paying for a surgery in which there was a medical error. In fact, they really may be most upset about staying in the hospital 2 additional days, and they are going to now miss the visit of a relative, their child’s graduation, or something important to them.

Let patients talk. Do not interrupt them. Do not stand over them while they are in the bed; sit down at eye level with them. Talk in a voice and tone that the patient understands and try to soothe and empathetically relate to what is being said.

The “A” is important: Apology. There are 2 things that patients want when a medical error occurs: 1) to hear the clinician say, “I’m sorry”—and you should be sorry if a medical error occurred, and you should say that you are sorry this happened—and 2) what you or your organization is going to do so that this does not happen to the next person. Incorporate these 2 factors into the apology piece.

OBG Management: Can saying, “I’m sorry” expose a clinician unnecessarily to malpractice risk?
Dr. Weiss: Saying “I’m sorry,” of course, has come under a lot of scrutiny. There are various state laws, and you should be aware of your state’s apology laws. In many states an apology, with “I’m sorry,” cannot be used against a provider. However, there is not 100% absolution of the event if an apology occurs. In other words, “I’m sorry” cannot be held against you, but saying “I’m sorry” does not negate the error that occurred.

Even when practicing in a state in which there is not an apology law, however, and a clinician does apologize and that apology comes up in the legal setting of a true medical error, we would need to ask, is it really that bad that an apology was made on behalf of the medical error that was committed? Isn’t that compassion? Isn’t that empathy? Isn’t that showing that I as the physician care for the patient and the medical team cares for the patient?

Finally, abide by the disclosure policy and standards of your organization.

OBG Management: What does the “M” in TEAM stand for?
Dr. Weiss: Management. There may be times when a medical error occurs that the patient or the patient’s family are angry and upset to the point that they no longer want you to continue to care for them. Be empathetic and helpful by offering to assist them in finding someone else to continue to provide their care. Also let them know that you are more than happy to continue to care for them and assist them in their healing and restoration to health in any way that you can: “Of course the ongoing management of your care is your decision, and we will do whatever your wishes are.”

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

In her position as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Patrice Weiss leads efforts not only to assure clinical excellence from the more than 900 clinicians at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, but also to improve patient experience. She lectures extensively on one of her passions in medicine: medical errors, and the concept of the second victim. OBG Management has discussed with Dr. Weiss her concerns and pointers for those clinicians both involved in and in close proximity to others who have been involved in a medical error, and how this involvement can lead to personal consequences and coping challenges. (Listen to, “Medical errors: Caring for the second victim [you].”) In this current Q&A article, the conversation hones in on unanticipated outcomes with and without medical errors and how best to approach communications with patients in the context of both circumstances.

OBG Management: What is the definition of a medical error?
Patrice M. Weiss, MD: Clinicians may be somewhat surprised to learn that there is no universal definition of a medical error that sets standardized nomenclature. The Institute of Medicine, in its landmark work To Err Is Human, adopted this definition: “failure of a planned action to be completed as intended, or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.”¹

In general terms, a medical error is an act of commission or omission, meaning that something was done or not done, that has negative consequences for the patient and is judged as wrong by our peers. An unanticipated outcome can be due to a medical error or can occur without a medical error. An unpredicted side effect, for instance—one that may have a low probability of drug–drug interaction or drug reaction occurrence—is an unexpected outcome. If the incidence of a drug reaction is 1 in 1,000 and your patient is that one, it does not necessarily mean that there was a medical error.

Often, if the outcome is unanticipated, patients and their families will assume, rightly or wrongly, that a medical error did occur.

OBG Management: Are physicians required to disclose medical errors?
Dr. Weiss: Yes. The Joint Commission’s standard principle states that the responsible licensed independent practitioner, or his or her designee, clearly explain the outcome of any treatment or procedure to the patient and, when appropriate, the patient’s family, whenever those outcomes differ significantly from the anticipated outcome.²

This can even include unanticipated outcomes that are not due to an error. Specifically speaking about medical errors, however, we do have the responsibility, both from this standard and from a professional and ethical standard to disclose what, why, and how the error occurred and what we are going to do to ensure it does not happen again.

OBG Management: How does a physician best communicate to a patient an unanticipated outcome that was not due to a medical error?
Dr. Weiss: Usually we as health care providers are more comfortable talking about unanticipated outcomes without medical errors. It is important to, when speaking with patients, be clear and concise, describing what you best know at the time, in language that patients can understand. I often jokingly say that, at a minimum, all of us in health care are bilingual: We speak our native language, and we speak “medicine.”

After describing unanticipated outcomes to patients and their families in terms they understand, affirm their understanding with a follow-up open-ended question. “Do you understand what I just said to you?” is ineffective. A better approach is saying, “Mrs. Jones, in your own words, will you describe back to me what your understanding is as to why this happened?” The answer received will allow you to know the patient’s level of understanding. It also will give you the opportunity to clear up points that are not clear or were misinterpreted. Do not leave patients feeling in a “lurch,” left to wonder or with a lack of understanding, or worse yet, with a sense that you are holding something back.

OBG Management: What is the best approach to disclosing an unanticipated outcome that was due to a medical error?
Dr. Weiss: First and foremost, you must be certain that a medical error did actually occur. There can be speculation at first, and that speculation should occur behind the scenes, with peer review or a root cause analysis on the event. Speculation should not enter into your conversation with the patient. Notional language can add to their anxiety, create mistrust on the patient’s part, and perhaps make a patient feel as if you are not giving the answers that he or she needs.

When it is believed that a medical error did occur, there are several things that need to be done:

1. Gather as much information at the event as possible.
2. Notify the hospital (ie, risk management or quality or patient safety). This is important because it is an organizational approach to medical errors when they do occur.
3. Support the patient and the patient’s family through the entire process. Speaking to the patient and the family may be a part of ascertaining what happened and contributing factors. Clinicians have said to me, “Well, I can’t really go talk to the patient or the patient’s family right now because I don’t really know everything that happened.” Keep in mind, however, that the longer you wait to talk to the patient and family, the more time they have to speculate and to ask other people, perhaps those not involved and with no knowledge of, what happened.

OBG Management: What is the best timing and location for the disclosure conversation?
Dr. Weiss: The person who is responsible for the patient who was involved in the medical error needs to have the disclosure conversation. The conversation with the patient, and the family if the patient so desires, should occur as soon as possible. However, take into consideration the patient being awake, coherent, and not under the influence of medications. With those caveats, the best time to speak is when it is convenient for the patient. Do not plug this conversation into a 10-minute opening in your busy schedule. The conversation could take an hour, or it could take 15 minutes. It should not be conducted as a matter of convenience to the clinician.

In addition, often times the recovery room is not the best location—it is not private and confidential, and the patient is still groggy and will be unable to remember most of what is said or ask questions as needed.

OBG Management: You advocate a “TEAM” approach when speaking with the patient. What is TEAM?
Dr. Weiss: Disclosure conversations are not easy to have. The patient and the patient’s family are often upset. Medical errors challenge a physician’s humility and integrity, and they can lead to questioning of one’s own ability. I adopted the helpful pneumonic TEAM after first learning about it at what is now known as the Institute for Healthcare Communication. It refers to what parties need to be notified and who needs to be present with you when having a disclosure conversation. Of course, you want someone there who not only can serve as a witness but also can help facilitate the gathering of answers for questions that will be asked. The best person for this job could be the lead physician involved in the care of the patient, a hospital risk manager, a colleague, or the patient safety officer.

The “T” stands for truthful. When you begin the conversation, tell the patient at that point what you know to be true and what you know may have happened or definitely did not happen that contributed to the outcome. Again, do not speculate in answering the patient’s questions. A good approach is to say, “This is what I know happened. As of right now, this is what I know may have contributed or did contribute. We are going to be looking into this more thoroughly. As I learn more, you will be the first to know.”

These are not one-time conversations. As you do learn more, circle back and talk to the patient and family. This can be a dialogue that goes on for weeks or even months.

“E” equals empathy. Allow the patient and the patient’s family to ventilate. Try to understand what is it that they are most upset about, and try to soothe these upset feelings. For example, do not make the assumption that they are most upset about paying for a surgery in which there was a medical error. In fact, they really may be most upset about staying in the hospital 2 additional days, and they are going to now miss the visit of a relative, their child’s graduation, or something important to them.

Let patients talk. Do not interrupt them. Do not stand over them while they are in the bed; sit down at eye level with them. Talk in a voice and tone that the patient understands and try to soothe and empathetically relate to what is being said.

The “A” is important: Apology. There are 2 things that patients want when a medical error occurs: 1) to hear the clinician say, “I’m sorry”—and you should be sorry if a medical error occurred, and you should say that you are sorry this happened—and 2) what you or your organization is going to do so that this does not happen to the next person. Incorporate these 2 factors into the apology piece.

OBG Management: Can saying, “I’m sorry” expose a clinician unnecessarily to malpractice risk?
Dr. Weiss: Saying “I’m sorry,” of course, has come under a lot of scrutiny. There are various state laws, and you should be aware of your state’s apology laws. In many states an apology, with “I’m sorry,” cannot be used against a provider. However, there is not 100% absolution of the event if an apology occurs. In other words, “I’m sorry” cannot be held against you, but saying “I’m sorry” does not negate the error that occurred.

Even when practicing in a state in which there is not an apology law, however, and a clinician does apologize and that apology comes up in the legal setting of a true medical error, we would need to ask, is it really that bad that an apology was made on behalf of the medical error that was committed? Isn’t that compassion? Isn’t that empathy? Isn’t that showing that I as the physician care for the patient and the medical team cares for the patient?

Finally, abide by the disclosure policy and standards of your organization.

OBG Management: What does the “M” in TEAM stand for?
Dr. Weiss: Management. There may be times when a medical error occurs that the patient or the patient’s family are angry and upset to the point that they no longer want you to continue to care for them. Be empathetic and helpful by offering to assist them in finding someone else to continue to provide their care. Also let them know that you are more than happy to continue to care for them and assist them in their healing and restoration to health in any way that you can: “Of course the ongoing management of your care is your decision, and we will do whatever your wishes are.”

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

In her position as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Patrice Weiss leads efforts not only to assure clinical excellence from the more than 900 clinicians at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, but also to improve patient experience. She lectures extensively on one of her passions in medicine: medical errors, and the concept of the second victim. OBG Management has discussed with Dr. Weiss her concerns and pointers for those clinicians both involved in and in close proximity to others who have been involved in a medical error, and how this involvement can lead to personal consequences and coping challenges. (Listen to, “Medical errors: Caring for the second victim [you].”) In this current Q&A article, the conversation hones in on unanticipated outcomes with and without medical errors and how best to approach communications with patients in the context of both circumstances.

OBG Management: What is the definition of a medical error?
Patrice M. Weiss, MD: Clinicians may be somewhat surprised to learn that there is no universal definition of a medical error that sets standardized nomenclature. The Institute of Medicine, in its landmark work To Err Is Human, adopted this definition: “failure of a planned action to be completed as intended, or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.”¹

In general terms, a medical error is an act of commission or omission, meaning that something was done or not done, that has negative consequences for the patient and is judged as wrong by our peers. An unanticipated outcome can be due to a medical error or can occur without a medical error. An unpredicted side effect, for instance—one that may have a low probability of drug–drug interaction or drug reaction occurrence—is an unexpected outcome. If the incidence of a drug reaction is 1 in 1,000 and your patient is that one, it does not necessarily mean that there was a medical error.

Often, if the outcome is unanticipated, patients and their families will assume, rightly or wrongly, that a medical error did occur.

OBG Management: Are physicians required to disclose medical errors?
Dr. Weiss: Yes. The Joint Commission’s standard principle states that the responsible licensed independent practitioner, or his or her designee, clearly explain the outcome of any treatment or procedure to the patient and, when appropriate, the patient’s family, whenever those outcomes differ significantly from the anticipated outcome.²

This can even include unanticipated outcomes that are not due to an error. Specifically speaking about medical errors, however, we do have the responsibility, both from this standard and from a professional and ethical standard to disclose what, why, and how the error occurred and what we are going to do to ensure it does not happen again.

OBG Management: How does a physician best communicate to a patient an unanticipated outcome that was not due to a medical error?
Dr. Weiss: Usually we as health care providers are more comfortable talking about unanticipated outcomes without medical errors. It is important to, when speaking with patients, be clear and concise, describing what you best know at the time, in language that patients can understand. I often jokingly say that, at a minimum, all of us in health care are bilingual: We speak our native language, and we speak “medicine.”

After describing unanticipated outcomes to patients and their families in terms they understand, affirm their understanding with a follow-up open-ended question. “Do you understand what I just said to you?” is ineffective. A better approach is saying, “Mrs. Jones, in your own words, will you describe back to me what your understanding is as to why this happened?” The answer received will allow you to know the patient’s level of understanding. It also will give you the opportunity to clear up points that are not clear or were misinterpreted. Do not leave patients feeling in a “lurch,” left to wonder or with a lack of understanding, or worse yet, with a sense that you are holding something back.

OBG Management: What is the best approach to disclosing an unanticipated outcome that was due to a medical error?
Dr. Weiss: First and foremost, you must be certain that a medical error did actually occur. There can be speculation at first, and that speculation should occur behind the scenes, with peer review or a root cause analysis on the event. Speculation should not enter into your conversation with the patient. Notional language can add to their anxiety, create mistrust on the patient’s part, and perhaps make a patient feel as if you are not giving the answers that he or she needs.

When it is believed that a medical error did occur, there are several things that need to be done:

1. Gather as much information at the event as possible.
2. Notify the hospital (ie, risk management or quality or patient safety). This is important because it is an organizational approach to medical errors when they do occur.
3. Support the patient and the patient’s family through the entire process. Speaking to the patient and the family may be a part of ascertaining what happened and contributing factors. Clinicians have said to me, “Well, I can’t really go talk to the patient or the patient’s family right now because I don’t really know everything that happened.” Keep in mind, however, that the longer you wait to talk to the patient and family, the more time they have to speculate and to ask other people, perhaps those not involved and with no knowledge of, what happened.

OBG Management: What is the best timing and location for the disclosure conversation?
Dr. Weiss: The person who is responsible for the patient who was involved in the medical error needs to have the disclosure conversation. The conversation with the patient, and the family if the patient so desires, should occur as soon as possible. However, take into consideration the patient being awake, coherent, and not under the influence of medications. With those caveats, the best time to speak is when it is convenient for the patient. Do not plug this conversation into a 10-minute opening in your busy schedule. The conversation could take an hour, or it could take 15 minutes. It should not be conducted as a matter of convenience to the clinician.

In addition, often times the recovery room is not the best location—it is not private and confidential, and the patient is still groggy and will be unable to remember most of what is said or ask questions as needed.

OBG Management: You advocate a “TEAM” approach when speaking with the patient. What is TEAM?
Dr. Weiss: Disclosure conversations are not easy to have. The patient and the patient’s family are often upset. Medical errors challenge a physician’s humility and integrity, and they can lead to questioning of one’s own ability. I adopted the helpful pneumonic TEAM after first learning about it at what is now known as the Institute for Healthcare Communication. It refers to what parties need to be notified and who needs to be present with you when having a disclosure conversation. Of course, you want someone there who not only can serve as a witness but also can help facilitate the gathering of answers for questions that will be asked. The best person for this job could be the lead physician involved in the care of the patient, a hospital risk manager, a colleague, or the patient safety officer.

The “T” stands for truthful. When you begin the conversation, tell the patient at that point what you know to be true and what you know may have happened or definitely did not happen that contributed to the outcome. Again, do not speculate in answering the patient’s questions. A good approach is to say, “This is what I know happened. As of right now, this is what I know may have contributed or did contribute. We are going to be looking into this more thoroughly. As I learn more, you will be the first to know.”

These are not one-time conversations. As you do learn more, circle back and talk to the patient and family. This can be a dialogue that goes on for weeks or even months.

“E” equals empathy. Allow the patient and the patient’s family to ventilate. Try to understand what is it that they are most upset about, and try to soothe these upset feelings. For example, do not make the assumption that they are most upset about paying for a surgery in which there was a medical error. In fact, they really may be most upset about staying in the hospital 2 additional days, and they are going to now miss the visit of a relative, their child’s graduation, or something important to them.

Let patients talk. Do not interrupt them. Do not stand over them while they are in the bed; sit down at eye level with them. Talk in a voice and tone that the patient understands and try to soothe and empathetically relate to what is being said.

The “A” is important: Apology. There are 2 things that patients want when a medical error occurs: 1) to hear the clinician say, “I’m sorry”—and you should be sorry if a medical error occurred, and you should say that you are sorry this happened—and 2) what you or your organization is going to do so that this does not happen to the next person. Incorporate these 2 factors into the apology piece.

OBG Management: Can saying, “I’m sorry” expose a clinician unnecessarily to malpractice risk?
Dr. Weiss: Saying “I’m sorry,” of course, has come under a lot of scrutiny. There are various state laws, and you should be aware of your state’s apology laws. In many states an apology, with “I’m sorry,” cannot be used against a provider. However, there is not 100% absolution of the event if an apology occurs. In other words, “I’m sorry” cannot be held against you, but saying “I’m sorry” does not negate the error that occurred.

Even when practicing in a state in which there is not an apology law, however, and a clinician does apologize and that apology comes up in the legal setting of a true medical error, we would need to ask, is it really that bad that an apology was made on behalf of the medical error that was committed? Isn’t that compassion? Isn’t that empathy? Isn’t that showing that I as the physician care for the patient and the medical team cares for the patient?

Finally, abide by the disclosure policy and standards of your organization.

OBG Management: What does the “M” in TEAM stand for?
Dr. Weiss: Management. There may be times when a medical error occurs that the patient or the patient’s family are angry and upset to the point that they no longer want you to continue to care for them. Be empathetic and helpful by offering to assist them in finding someone else to continue to provide their care. Also let them know that you are more than happy to continue to care for them and assist them in their healing and restoration to health in any way that you can: “Of course the ongoing management of your care is your decision, and we will do whatever your wishes are.”

Share your thoughts! Send your Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. Please include your name and the city and state in which you practice.

Learn more:

• forYou team, University of Missouri
• Trust Team, Carilion Clinic

Learn more:

• forYou team, University of Missouri
• Trust Team, Carilion Clinic

Learn more:

• forYou team, University of Missouri
• Trust Team, Carilion Clinic