Polish doctors concerning the phenomenon of second victims. Pilot study among doctors during specialization training

Introduction and Objective.A physician who is directly or indirectly involved in an adverse patient event, an unintentional error, or a patient injury, becomes a second victim (SV) and strongly experiences various negative psychological and psychosomatic symptoms.The aim of the study was to analyze the perception of SV by young physicians in Poland. Materials andMethod.A cross-sectional survey was conducted among physicians and dentists pursuing specialty training at the School of Public Health of the Medical Centre for Postgraduate Education in Warsaw, Poland, between March -April 2024.A total of 123 physicians participated in the survey who represented more than 40 medical specialties in various regions of Poland.Results.As many as 30% of the physicians felt that there is no room for error in modern medicine.Respondents had no doubt that the implementation of appropriate procedures to minimize risks is necessary (95%).At the same time, 62% of young physicians confirmed that they, or one of their colleagues, had been a second victim.In Poland, no care is provided for SVs (46%).According to those surveyed, a physician who has made a mistake needs legal care (98%) as well as psychological care (83%).The majority of respondents (92%) felt that training on SV was essential.Conclusions.Building a culture of safety takes time.Legal and psychological care should be organized in parallel, as should training for medical staff and managers.However, the attitude of the infallibility of young doctors may make it difficult for managers to find an effective tool to support psychological care.