Healthcare Professionals Involved in Medical Errors and Support Systems for Them: A Literature Review

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the current state of research on healthcare professionals who make medical errors, who are known as “second victims”, and support systems for them. Methods: An extensive search was conducted in electronic databases, Google, and websites related to patient safety using search terms such as “second victims”, “medical errors”, “adverse events”, and “sentinel events”. Results: Research to date in Korea has rarely focused on healthcare professionals’ experiences after making medical errors. Abroad, there are comprehensive and systematic reviews of the impact of medical errors on healthcare professionals, their coping responses, and support systems for these second victims. Additionally, several institutes related to patient safety provide official guidelines and accessible support systems to support second victims in the aftermath of medical errors, especially serious adverse events. Conclusion: The impact of medical errors on healthcare professionals is profound and complex. Although systematic support systems for second victims are imperative, this has been overlooked in Korea. Thus, more research about the experiences of healthcare professionals after medical errors needs to be conducted prior to developing support systems or programs. Additionally, further efforts are required to raise awareness of the necessity of supporting healthcare professionals in healthcare systems.