A systematic scoping review on the evidence behind debriefing practices for the wellbeing/emotional outcomes of healthcare workers

Abstract

IntroductionDebriefings give healthcare workers voice through the opportunity to discuss unanticipated or difficult events and recommend changes. The typical goal of routine debriefings has been to improve clinical outcomes by learning through discussion and reflection of events and then transferring that learning into clinical practice. However, little research has investigated the effects of debriefings on the emotional experiences and well-being of healthcare workers. There is some evidence that debriefings are a multi-faceted and cost-effective intervention for minimising negative health outcomes, but their use is inconsistent and they are infrequently adopted with the specific intention of giving healthcare workers a voice. The purpose of this systematic scoping review is therefore to assess the scope of existing evidence on debriefing practices for the well-being and emotional outcomes of healthcare workers.MethodsFollowing screening, 184 papers were synthesised through keyword mapping and exploratory trend identification.ResultsThe body of evidence reviewed were clustered geographically, but diverse on many other criteria of interest including the types of evidence produced, debriefing models and practices, and outcomes captured.DiscussionThe current review provides a clear map of our existing understanding and highlights the need for more systematic, collaborative and rigorous bodies of evidence to determine the potential of debriefing to support the emotional outcomes of those working within healthcare.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://osf.io/za6rj.

Enhancing your practice: debriefing in interventional radiology

“…For example, routine use of debriefing after every surgery prior to the departure of the staff/surgeon from the operating room or recurring debriefs on a unit or ward as part of daily or weekly routine. Some facilities will provide robust structured debriefing led by someone with specific training for leading debriefs after a catastrophic event such as mass casualty, which has been referred to as critical incident debriefing [ 2 , 3 ]. The definition of debriefing for this paper refers to discussion between persons involved in tough situations with the goals of reviewing processes, communicating concerns, providing emotional support, collecting feedback or identifying opportunities for quality improvement (QI).…”

“…There are many reported styles of clinical debriefing. In a scoping systematic review of debriefs in medicine by Evans et al, there were two general themes of debriefing found [ 2 ]. The first theme is discussion of the event proceedings for learning or QI and second is for supporting individuals after experiencing a traumatic/adverse event.…”

“…The first theme is discussion of the event proceedings for learning or QI and second is for supporting individuals after experiencing a traumatic/adverse event. Examples of the first category (learning and QI) include REFLECT (Review the event, Emphasize key points, Communicate clearly, Transform the future), TALK® (Target, Analysis, Learning, Key action) and PEARLS (The Promoting Excellence and Reflective Learning in Simulation) [ 2 ]. An additional learning and QI model described by Zigmont et al is the 3D Model of Debriefing [ 4 ].…”

“…An additional learning and QI model described by Zigmont et al is the 3D Model of Debriefing [ 4 ]. Examples of the latter theme (psychological or emotional support) includes the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) model and Psychological Debriefing and Trauma Risk Management [ 2 ].…”

“…The goal is to lessen the impact of trauma and help these workers return to their normal function [ 8 ]. Literature has demonstrated decreased stress related symptoms when this model was used in a homogenous cohort of first responders [ 2 , 8 – 10 ]. However, in some studied cohorts such as heterogeneous groups of non-first responders (eg.…”