Correlates of the Third Victim Phenomenon

The third victim phenomenon refers to a system-wide organizational response to a serious untoward event in health care settings. The objective of this report is to describe possible measurable correlates of this phenomenon. A serious incident on one unit in the hospital is described. Utilization of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatric quarterly 2017-12, Vol.88 (4), p.917-920
Main Author: Russ, Mark J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aftermath
Clinical medicine
Conflicts of interest
Decision making
Discharge
Firing rate
Health status
Hospitalization
Hospitals
Humans
Leadership
Medical Errors
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Morale
Patient Safety
Patients
Personnel, Hospital
Psychiatry
Public Health
Review Article
Sociology
Suicides & suicide attempts
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Summary:The third victim phenomenon refers to a system-wide organizational response to a serious untoward event in health care settings. The objective of this report is to describe possible measurable correlates of this phenomenon. A serious incident on one unit in the hospital is described. Utilization of constant observation and rate of discharge in the aftermath throughout the hospital were assessed. There was a hospital-wide uptick in conservative decision making following the serious incident, exemplified by an increase in the utilization of constant observation and decreased rate of discharges. These findings lend support to the validity of the concept of the third victim phenomenon and underscore the imperative for a coherent leadership response to prevent damage to institutional core values, morale, and reputation. Systematic investigation of this phenomenon and its potential effects on clinical practice in the aftermath of serious incidents is warranted.
ISSN:0033-2720
1573-6709
DOI:10.1007/s11126-017-9511-1