Implementation of an Institutional Physician and Advanced Practicing Provider Peer Support Program.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Medical Education
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Healthcare professionals can experience second victim syndrome (SVS) following adverse events.
• SVS can lead to negative consequences, including self-doubt, increased error risk, and turnover intention.
• Peer support programs (PSPs) offer institutional support to mitigate SVS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of an enterprise-wide physician and advanced practicing provider (APP)-specific PSP.
• To assess the feasibility and utilization of an institutional PSP in a large academic medical center.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a novel, broad approach to an enterprise-wide physician and APP-specific PSP.
• Training of 107 physicians and APPs as peer supporters since program launch.
• Tracking referrals and utilization across departments.

Main Results:

• Program utilization increased by 63% from year 1 to year 2.
• Top referral reasons included patient death, emotional stress, and other factors.
• Consistent utilization observed across 16 departments, with most referrals having no departmental preference.

Conclusions:

• Implementing an institutional PSP is feasible in large academic medical centers.
• Key factors for success include executive sponsorship, dedicated leadership, a culture of safety, and SVS awareness training.
• PSPs can systematically intervene in SVS, reducing distress and promoting resilience.