Second Victims in Otolaryngology: Protecting Yourself From a Silent Epidemic

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Second Victim Syndrome (SVS) in health care continues to be a silent but growing epidemic. SVS is defined as the health care professionals who are traumatized by an event manifesting psychological, cognitive and physical reactions that have a negative personal impact, often as a result of an error or a bad outcome. On average, 300-400 physicians will take their own lives during the course of a year, often related to the negative impacts of poor outcomes. Increasing stress and dissatisfaction in the healthcare workplace, coupled with the growing demands of practice, have increased the risk of burnout and moral injury throughout the medical community. This year alone, at least two Otolaryngologists have taken their own lives.

This panel is comprised of Otolaryngologists who have experience with SVS as clinicians who experienced poor outcomes, and have personal relationships with those who have experienced SVS and experienced negative manifestations as a result. Additionally, panelists have experience in leadership roles in their respective institutions including oversight of "Care for Caregiver" programs and management of physician well-being. In this interactive and engaging discussion, panelists will discuss their own experiences and open the conversation to the audience to discuss their perspectives, then shift the focus on strategies for management and damage mitigation as defined in the scientific literature. Additionally, panelists will discuss the impacts of SVS on health care systems including changes in practice and liability concerns. Finally, the panelists will discuss culture in health care organizations, and how adaptation of "just culture" principles can increase support for second victims.

This panel believe that an honest, open and transparent conversation, deeply engaging an interested audience, will decrease the stigma associated with poor outcomes and honest mistakes, and provide strategies both on an individual and institutional level to decrease the silent epidemic befalling Otolaryngologists everywhere.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: This panel will define Second Victim Syndrome and describe the elements that contribute to SVS. After completion of this panel, we expect the audience to be able to interpret and recognize the risks of SVS and understand elements of culture in health care organizations that contribute to SVS.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: Define institutional and individual factors that predispose practitioners to SVS and identify risk factors that increase the likelihood of SVS

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Develop personal and institutional strategies to decrease the risks of SVS and improve the management of SVS. Additionally, attendees will learn from the experiences of others to develop meaningful and working methods to improve organizational culture and improve outcomes for SVS.

BACKGROUND STATEMENT: As burnout and moral injury increase in medicine, more attention is required to managing the wellness of Otolaryngologists, many of whom are subject to SVS. This panel is the first of its kind for the AAO-HNSF and the first to address SVS as a major stressor for surgeons.