Difficult events happen to all physicians at some point in their careers. Stressful events include involvement in an adverse event, caring for trauma victims, facing the illness/death of a colleague, or confronting potential litigation. These events can lead to a variety of negative emotional consequences, including a sense of isolation, self-doubt, depression, rumination, and anxiety.
It is important physicians don’t feel alone under these circumstances. Yet, research shows physicians generally do not acknowledge or openly discuss their personal reactions to these events. If not attended to, these emotional reactions can lead to burnout and further distress.
Studies have shown that talking to a trained peer facilitates coping and resilience after an adverse event. In response to this research, in 2018 the SHCP Physician Peer Support Program was created.
How does the process work?
- Connection is established through the program administrator.
- Peer supporters reach out directly to the involved physician, inviting them to chat informally either via phone or in person.
- Outreach is an invitation. If peer does not want to talk, supporter expresses understanding and lets them know peer support is available if they want it in the future. Supporter asks permission to email the peer information regarding coping strategies and further resources.
- If peer does want to talk, a one-time peer support meeting is held. Future follow-up is always an option.
How do you get connected with a peer supporter?
To refer a physician, or to self-refer, contact program administrator Janice Miller or call 207.835.2870.
The program administrator will match the physician with a peer supporter within 24 hours. For weekend referrals, the match will be made within 48 hours.
What does the peer supporter know about the situation?
The peer supporter only knows the physician’s name and contact email and/or phone number. They know nothing about the event details. The Peer Supporter is concerned about their colleagues well-being, not the details of the event.
The only people who will know that a conversation took place are the involved physician, the peer supporter, and the program administrator.
What do we talk about during the 1:1 meeting?
- A peer supporter focuses on empathetic, non-judgmental listening
- Peer support is about sharing experiences and providing perspective
- A peer supporter will reinforce the importance of self-care and coping skills
- A peer supporter will share resource and referral information
- A peer supporter maintains strict confidentiality (unless there are safety concerns about the physician).
Can any of the information be legally accesses?
In Maine and New Hampshire, peer support interventions are not peer review protected, which means that any documentation is discoverable. However, the peer supporter does not keep notes of the conversation and all conversations are confidential except in circumstances where the physician many be a danger to themselves or others.
Accessing peer support is not reportable on licensing or credentialing applications. Utilization data is kept, without identifying information, to aid in the development of this program.
What are physicians saying about peer support programs?
“Just having someone neutral check in specifically about my well-being was comforting. I felt incredibly supported and it was nice that there were not secondary motives behind the support (i.e. data gathering about the incident, etc.).”
“Thank you for taking time to talk to me, it made things much clearer. Thank you also for the additional resources you sent so promptly.”
“Great addition for our physicians, as we often feel the need to sort through these issues alone.”
