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Published on: November 19, 2015
The Economic Implications of Psychosocial Peer Support for Health Workers in German Hospitals
Reinhard Strametz1, Hannah Roesner1,2, Thomas Neusius1
1Wiesbaden Institute for Healthcare Economics and Patient Safety, RheinMain UAS, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Purpose:
The objective of this study is to evaluate whether the nationwide establishment and institutionalization of a peer-support program, is economically justified given the potential positive effects on the Second Victim Phenomenon (SVP) among healthcare professionals in Germany.
Methods:
A comprehensive methodological approach was employed, using data from the SeViD studies to assess the prevalence and duration of SVP among physicians and nurses in Germany. Economic impact assessments were conducted to estimate the potential cost savings associated with implementing a peer-support program.
Results:
The economic analysis reveals significant annual costs associated with SVP-induced absenteeism: approximately 1.56 billion euros for physicians and 1.87 billion euros for nurses. Implementing comprehensive peer-support programs could reduce these costs to approximately 0.85 billion (physicians) and 1.02 billion euros (nurses), respectively, demonstrating substantial potential economic benefits.
Conclusion:
Investing in a structured peer-support program could yield annual savings exceeding 1.55 billion euros while enhancing workforce resilience and improving patient care. This underscores the economic rationale for scaling up peer support initiatives in healthcare settings.
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