Abstract
Objective: This review examines the present state of overseas and Japanese support systems for healthcare professionals involved in medical errors, commonly desired forms and sources of support, as well as the effects of such support, in order to advance the discussion concerning effective support structures in Japan.
Methods: A total of 42 studies (26 in English and 16 in Japanese) were identified from the Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and Ichu-shi databases using keywords such as ‘second victim’, ‘medical error’ and ‘support’.
Results: The findings suggested that the most commonly desired forms and sources of support correspond in Japan and other countries. Among the forms of support, support from peers or senior colleagues was the most desired, with informal support provided by peers shown to foster positive growth in medical professionals. While peer support programs are common overseas, in Japan, focus has remained on support provided by administrative staff, with a lack of focus on peer support.
Conclusion: Post adverse event support was found to have as significant an impact on medical professionals as organizational culture. Implementation of training to enhance support skills among on-site staff and to address organizational culture is needed in Japan.
