Supportive networks, healthier doctors and 'just culture': Managing the effects of medico-legal complaints on doctors.

BACKGROUND: When an error leads to possible patient harm and a complaint, the impact on doctors and patients can be profound. Doctors may respond in ways that risk harm to themselves, colleagues and patients, including withdrawing from peers, risk-avoidance practice and even suicidal ideation. OBJECTIVE: This article discusses current research and public discourse on the impact of complaints on doctors' personal and professional lives, as well as the way complaints and the fear of complaints affects doctors' clinical practice. It suggests strategies to ameliorate these effects before a complaint is made. DISCUSSION: When colleagues support one another and collectively reflect on their practice within a culture focused on patient safety, doctors facing complaints or presented with an error are less likely to isolate themselves and fear the worst. Using a common adverse event, the author discusses how analysing minor errors and near-misses can benefit patients, practitioners and practices.