Betsy Lehman Center | Risk management considerations

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Create protections for your peer support program and connect it with other initiatives

Go back: Clinician and Staff Peer Support Toolkit

Resources	Things to consider
Protections for your peer support program
Peer support bylaws TOOL The University of Illinois has included language into their bylaws for protection. Download the bylaws	Peer support in most organizations is not protected. Check your state law and legal counsel regarding confidentiality of provider support after adverse events.
Template for board resolutions TOOL An example of a board resolution from Experix to have peer support be put under the quality improvement umbrella in an ambulatory setting. Read the resolution
Improving patient safety: The intersection of safety culture, clinician and staff support, and patient safety organizations RESEARCH TOOL This white paper released in September 2015 from the Center for Patient Safety discusses opportunities to implement and integrate Clinician Support Intervention Programs through PSO participation. Read the white paper	Page 9 Exhibit 1 includes an example of the University of North Carolina Medical Center policy.
Connecting your support program to other initiatives
RCA2: Improving root cause analyses and actions to prevent harm TOOL The National Patient Safety Foundation encourages organizations to adopt the recommendations of this report to bring them to the next level, that of root cause analysis and action, RCA2, to prevent future harm. Read the report
Communication, Apology and Resolution (CARe) TOOL Previously managed by MACRMI and now at the Betsy Lehman Center, the CARe program combines patients needs as well as the needs of the staff. Provider information Patient and family information Attorney information	Consider connecting peer support with other programs, for example a Communication Resolution Program (CRP).
Collaborative for Accountability and Improvement TOOL The Collaborative offers education and hands-on support to establish communication and resolution programs to respond to unintended harm events. Learn more
Supporting clinicians immediately after an event TOOL These videos show the impact of support for clinicians prior to communication following an adverse event or medical error. Disclosure with no support: Communication after a bad outcome with no support Disclosure with support: A physician gets support and guidance prior to communicating with a family member following a bad outcome	It’s important to provide support to the clinician prior to initial communication with the patient and family about what may have happened.
Patient safety professionals as the third victims of adverse events RESEARCH This article describes potential sources of harm to patient safety professionals, including critical incident stress, emotional labor, abusive supervision, and competing loyalties/duties. Read the article
Tools for ambulatory settings
Supporting clinicians after adverse events: Development of a clinician peer support program RESEARCH This article describes the steps necessary to create a successful peer support program focused on physicians and mid-level providers. Read the article
Basic event analysis in outpatient and ambulatory settings TOOL A checklist for office practice managers after an adverse event from Washington University School of Medicine. Download the checklist	It's important to have practice managers think differently about how to approach event analysis.
Patient safety event briefings TOOL Event debriefing basics after a patient safety event from Washington University School of Medicine. Learn more
Guidelines for disclosure of adverse events to patients TOOL A pocket card with basic principles and guidelines from the Washington University School of Medicine. Download the pocket card
Step-by-step guide for peer supporters TOOL A pocket card with information to remember about offering peer support and documenting interactions from Physicians Insurance. Download the pocket card