APPLICATION OF MEDIATION IN HEALTHCARE- RESEARCH OF THE ATTITUDES OF MEDICAL SPECIALISTS
Keywords:
medical professionals, mediation, conflict situations, healthcareAbstract
Introduction: Conflict situations are inevitable in everyday work, even more in emotionally charged
professions that require self-sacrifice and empathy. In extreme cases, conflict can lead to burnout with adverse
consequences for patients such as: inadequate healing process, delayed diagnosis, redundant diagnostic tests,
iatrogenic complications, dissatisfaction in patients and practitioners, risky decision making.
Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the attitude of medical specialist regarding the application of mediation in
the resolution of conflict situations in medical practice.
Material and Methods: The survey was conducted online between August 2021 and October 2021. A total of 163
medical professionals (physicians, nurses, midwifes, laboratory assistants and other) were enrolled. An original
questionnaire was developed for the purposes of the study.
The following methods were used:A documentary method for researching and analyzing the literature available on
application of alternative dispute methods in healthcare and medical practice; Questionnaire method: Anonymous
online direct individual questionnaire among medical professionals practicing on the territory of Sofia municipality;
Statistical methods: The statistical data package SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 19.0 was
used to process the survey data. A wide range of descriptive and analytical methods were used. The results are
described by tables, graphs and numerical indicators for structure, frequency, averages, correlation coefficients, etc.
Results: 69,3% of the participants report that they have been in a conflict situation with patients. According to
mediation as alternative dispute resolution method 25,2% respond they are familiar with this method and another
41,1%- answer “Yes, partly”. About 1/4 think they are aware of the benefits of mediation. When asked about the
potential benefits of additional training in communication skills and mediation, 77,3% of health professionals
believe that it would be useful for their practice
Conclusion: Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution method based on "conciliatory" communication and is
considered a good choice in the field of healthcare. Mediation is a structured, interactive process in which a neutral
third party (mediator) assists disputants in resolving the conflict through the application of specialized
communication and negotiation techniques. Medical specialists need to be aware of the benefits of mediation and
consider the application of this approach as a first choice in resolving disputes in their practice.
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