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

Infographic · Oct 2024 · 1 min read

In brief

APSA launched a national peer support program training surgeons to provide emotional first aid to colleagues experiencing adverse events or workplace distress. In its first year, the program received 15 referrals and trained supporters reported applying skills both formally and informally within their institutions.

Nearly half of pediatric surgeons experiencing medical errors received no colleague outreach, highlighting a critical gap in support.
APSA's peer support program trained diverse supporters who handled 15 referrals in year one, mostly for adverse events and toxic environments.
60% of referrals were self-initiated, demonstrating surgeons will seek help when accessible peer support is available.
Over 80% of trained peer supporters applied skills informally within their institutions, amplifying program impact beyond formal referrals.
National society-based peer support programs are feasible and expand the safety net for surgeons experiencing professional distress.

Written by the GCMD Library team from the infographic.

A three-column comparison layout with medical illustrations of esophageal procedures. Each column contains anatomical diagrams in blue and pink tones showing the esophagus and stomach, with surgical technique variations. Bar charts or percentage indicators display outcome metrics below each approach. The design uses a clean, clinical color palette with icons and arrows to highlight key differences between methods.

Fari Fall, Yue Yung Hu, Sarah Walker, Reto Baertschiger, Iljana Gaffar, Daniel Saltzman, Steven Stylianos, Jo Shapiro, Minna Wieck, Terry Buchmiller, Mary L Brandt, Thomas Tracy, Kurt Heiss, Loren Berman

Background: Peer support programs have evolved to train physicians to provide outreach and emotional first aid to their colleagues when they experience the inevitable challenge of a serious adverse event, whether or not it is related to a medical error. Most pediatric surgeons have experienced the trauma of a medical error, yet, in a survey of APSA membership, almost half said that no one reached out to them, and few were satisfied with their institution's response to the error. Thus, the APSA Wellness Committee developed an APSA-based peer support program to meet this need.

Methods: Peer supporters were nominated by fellow APSA members, and the group was vetted to ensure diversity in demographics, practice setting, and seniority. Formal virtual training was conducted before the program went live in 2020. Trained supporters were surveyed 6 months after the program launched to evaluate their experiences with providing peer support.

Results: 15 referrals were made in the first year, 60 % of which were self-initiated. Most referrals were for distress related to adverse events or toxic work environments (33 % each). While only about 25 % of trained supporters had provided formal support through the APSA program, more than 80 % reported using the skills to support colleagues and trainees within their own institutions.

Conclusion: Our experience in the first year of the APSA peer support program demonstrates the feasibility of building and maintaining a national program to provide emotional first aid by a professional society to expand the safety net for surgeons who are suffering.

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