Strengthening family medicine through coaching-informed peer support: a pilot program evaluation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Well-being
• Primary Care Research

Background:

• Primary care physicians face high burnout rates, impacting job satisfaction and career choices.
• Fewer physicians are choosing primary care, necessitating strategies to improve professional fulfillment.
• Peer coaching offers a supportive framework to enhance connection and job satisfaction among physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a pilot coaching-informed peer support program for family physicians in Ontario.
• To determine if the program increased joy in practice and strengthened professional well-being.
• To assess the program's impact on reducing burnout and its potential benefits for peer guides.

Main Methods:

• A multi-methods approach was used, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
• Physicians participated as "Guides" or "Learners" in a 3-meeting coaching structure.
• Quantitative analysis included Anova, Fisher's exact tests, and Mann Kendall trend tests; qualitative analysis used thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• 32 "Learners" and 27 "Guides" participated; both groups showed increased likelihood to recommend family medicine.
• Peer learners reported feeling validated, receiving workflow advice, and gaining new perspectives.
• Peer guides found the experience fulfilling, gained coaching skills, and shifted their perspectives.

Conclusions:

• The pilot program is an acceptable and potentially effective method for enhancing family physician resiliency.
• The program shows promise in promoting togetherness and improving joy in medical practice.
• This peer support model could offer a sustainable approach to addressing burnout in primary care.