Peer Support to Promote Surgeon Well-being: The APSA Program Experience.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Physician Wellness

Background:

• Physician peer support programs offer emotional first aid for adverse events.
• Many pediatric surgeons face trauma from medical errors, with inadequate institutional support.
• The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) developed a peer support program to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and evaluate an APSA-based peer support program for pediatric surgeons.
• To assess the experiences of peer supporters in providing emotional first aid.
• To determine the program's feasibility and impact on surgeon well-being.

Main Methods:

• Peer supporters were nominated by APSA members and vetted for diversity.
• Virtual training was provided to selected peer supporters.
• Trained supporters were surveyed six months post-launch to evaluate their experiences.

Main Results:

• 15 referrals were made in the first year, with 60% self-initiated.
• Referrals primarily addressed distress from adverse events and toxic work environments (33% each).
• Over 80% of trained supporters utilized their skills within their institutions, despite only 25% providing formal APSA support.

Conclusions:

• The APSA peer support program is feasible for a national professional society to implement.
• The program provides essential emotional first aid, expanding the safety net for surgeons.
• This initiative highlights the importance of peer support in addressing surgeon distress and promoting well-being.