Faculty
Wiesbaden Business School

SeViD is a series of scientific studies that are the first of their kind to investigate the second victim phenomenon (SVP) in German-speaking countries. So far, twelve SeViD studies are planned in Germany within various medical professional groups, half of which have already been published in Q1/Q2 academic journals (as of January 2025).

According to the latest consensus and evidence-based definition of theEuropean ERNST consortium, the second victim phenomenon describes

"Any healthcare professional who is directly or indirectly involved in an unexpected adverse patient event, unintentional healthcare error or patient harm and who becomes an affected person by also being impaired."

As there were no systematic studies on the prevalence, symptom burden and preferred support options for this phenomenon in Germany, Prof. Dr. Reinhard Strametz launched the SeViD project in 2018. To this end, the validated SeViD questionnaire was developed, which was supplemented with COVID-19 and personality-related questions (BFI-10). The first professional group to participate were internal medicine residents (SeViD-I) before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second study (SeViD-II), nurses were surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third study looked at emergency physicians, who were surveyed at the end of 2022. Surveys are now also available from Germany for general practitioners and even family caregivers - the latter are quasi double victims as first and second victims.

The results showed that although SVP is widespread, it is not yet sufficiently well known. Even though the triggering factors can vary, the prevalence and symptom burden are comparably high in all areas. The SeViD studies therefore serve as a data basis for further research projects and can be used to develop support programs.

The SeViD questionnaire has now arrived in the German-speaking neighboring country of Austria: two SeViD studies (SeViD-A1 and SeViD-A2) among Austrian pediatricians and nurses have already been published. The third SeViD-A study is due to be published shortly (as of January 2025).

Through the cooperation of the European Researchers' Network Working on Second Victims, the SeViD questionnaire has been translated into numerous languages and the first studies from other European countries are expected soon. In addition, the WiHelP has also determined the economic impact of the introduction of peer support systems for Germany, both in terms of business and the national economy.

• Strametz R, Roesner H, Neusius T, Wiesenhuetter I, Bushuven S, Mira JJ, Hinzmann D, Heininger S. (2025)The Economic Implications of Psychosocial Peer Support for Health Workers in German Hospitals. J Healthc Leadersh. 17:15-22. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S498789
• Potura E, Roesner H, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Tsikala P, Klemm V, Strametz R (2024) Second Victims Among Austrian Nurses (SeViD-A2 Study). Healthcare. 12:2061. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12202061
• Bushuven S, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Klemm V, Diesener P, Haller S, Strametz R (2024) The "Double Victim Phenomenon"-Results From a National Pilot Survey on Second Victims in German Family Caregivers (SeViD-VI Study). J Patient Saf. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000001251
• Roesner H, Bushuven S, Ettl B, Heininger S, Hinzmann D, Huf W, Krommer E, Marung H, Potura E, Raspe M, Schwappach D, Trifunovic-König M, Strametz R (2024) Second Victim: Translation of the international consensus-based definition using the Delphi method. Zbl Arbeitsmed (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40664-024-00553-0
• Roesner H, Neusius T, Strametz R, Mira JJ (2024) Economic Value of Peer Support Program in German Hospitals. Int J Public Health 69:1607218. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2024.1607218
• Bushuven S, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Bunz M, Weinmann-Linne P, Klemm V, Strametz R, Müller BS. Applicability and Validity of Second Victim Assessment Instruments among General Practitioners and Healthcare Assistants (SEVID-IX Study). Healthcare. 2024; 12(3):351. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030351
• Potura E, Klemm V, Roesner H, Sitter B, Huscsava H, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Voitl P, Strametz R (2023) Second Victims among Austrian Pediatricians (SeViD-A1 Study). Healthcare 2023, 11, 2501. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11182501
• Marung, H.; Strametz, R.; Roesner, H.; Reifferscheid, F.; Petzina, R.; Klemm, V.; Trifunovic-Koenig, M.; Bushuven, S. (2023): Second Victims among German Emergency Medical Services Physicians (SeViD-III-Study). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 20, 4267. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054267
• Bushuven S, Trifunovic-Koenig M, Bentele M, Bentele S, Strametz R, Klemm V, Raspe M. (2022): Self-Assessment and Learning Motivation in the Second Victim Phenomenon. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19, 16016. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316016
• Strametz R, Fendel JC, Koch P, Roesner H, Zilezinski M, Bushuven S, Raspe M (2021): Prevalence of Second Victims, Risk Factors, and Support Strategies among German Nurses (SeViD-II Survey). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(20):10594. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010594
• Strametz R, Siebold B, Heistermann P, Haller S, Bushuven S (2021): Validation of the German Version of the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool-Revised. J Patient Saf. 18(3):182-192 https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000886
• Strametz R, Koch P, Vogelgesang A, Burbridge A, Rösner H, Abloescher M, Huf W, Ettl B, Raspe M (2021): Prevalence of second victims, risk factors and support strategies among young German physicians in internal medicine (SeViD-I survey). J Occup Med Toxicol. 16(1):11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-021-00300-8
• Strametz R, Roesner, H, Abloescher M, Huf W, Ettl B, Raspe M (2020): [Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess incidence and reactions of second victims in German speaking countries (SeViD)] Zbl Arbeitsmed. 71:19-23 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40664-020-00400-y

The previous publications were published jointly with researchers from the following organizations:

• Berlin Institute for Health Research
• Federal Association of Working Groups of Emergency Physicians in Germany (BAND)
• Charité University Medicine, Berlin
• Elisabeth-Kuebler-Ross Academy, Stuttgart
• Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), Alicante, Spain
• Hegau-Jugendwerk Gailingen
• Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
• Karl Landsteiner Institute, Vienna, Austria
• Hietzing Clinic, Vienna, Austria
• LMU Munich
• Martin Luther University, Halle (Saale), Germany
• MSH Medical School Hamburg
• Emergency Medical Training Center in Singen e.V.
• Patient Safety Platform, Vienna, Austria
• PSU Akut e. V., Munich
• Sigmund Freud Private University, Vienna, Austria
• Universitdas Miguel Hernández, Elche, Spain
• University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein
• University Medical Center Freiburg
• University Medical Center Göttingen
• University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
• University Medical Center Warwickshire, England
• Deggendorf Institute of Technology
• Second Victim Association, Vienna, Austria