Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Introduction: Being named as a defendant in a malpractice lawsuit is known to be a particularly high-stress and vulnerable time for a physician. Medical malpractice stress syndrome (MMSS) is a consequence of being named as a physician defendant in a malpractice lawsuit. Symptoms include depression,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wh7x2k6 |
| _version_ | 1797306663317798912 |
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| author | Marla C. Doehring Christian C. Strachan Lindsey Haut Melanie Heniff Karen Crevier Megan Crittendon Jill Nault Connors Julie L. Welch |
| author_facet | Marla C. Doehring Christian C. Strachan Lindsey Haut Melanie Heniff Karen Crevier Megan Crittendon Jill Nault Connors Julie L. Welch |
| author_sort | Marla C. Doehring |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Being named as a defendant in a malpractice lawsuit is known to be a particularly high-stress and vulnerable time for a physician. Medical malpractice stress syndrome (MMSS) is a consequence of being named as a physician defendant in a malpractice lawsuit. Symptoms include depression, anxiety, and insomnia, which may lead to burnout, loss of confidence in clinical decision-making, substance abuse, strain on personal and professional relationships, and suicidal ideation. Although the legal process requires strict confidentiality regarding the specific details of the legal case, discussing the emotional impact of the case is not prohibited. Given that physicians often do not choose formalized therapy with a licensed professional, there is a recognized need to provide physicians with options to support their wellness during a lawsuit. Methods: The peer support model is a promising option to address the negative impacts to wellness that physician defendants face during medical malpractice lawsuits. We developed and implemented a peer support program to provide a safe, protected space for discussion of the personal impact of a lawsuit and to normalize this experience among peer physicians. Results: Physicians were receptive to joining a peer support group to discuss the personal impacts of being named in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Participants in this novel group-based program found it helpful and would unanimously recommend it to others who are being sued. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this pilot study is the first to implement and assess a facilitated, group-based peer support model for emergency physicians who are named as defendants in malpractice lawsuits. While group discussions demonstrated that symptoms of acute distress and MMSS were prevalent among physicians who were being sued, in this study physicians were receptive to and felt better after peer support sessions. Despite increasing burnout in the specialty of emergency medicine (EM) during the study time frame, burnout did not worsen in participants. Extrapolating from this pilot program, we hypothesize that formal peer support offered by EM groups can be an effective option to normalize the experience of being sued, promote wellness, and benefit physicians who endure the often long and stressful process of a medical malpractice lawsuit. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:45:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5fa0d70d4c2a4b64b18afc176c88d28a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2474-252X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T00:45:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | eScholarship Publishing, University of California |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-5fa0d70d4c2a4b64b18afc176c88d28a2024-02-15T11:39:21ZengeScholarship Publishing, University of CaliforniaClinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine2474-252X2023-10-017420520910.5811/cpcem.13771377Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice LawsuitsMarla C. Doehring0Christian C. Strachan1Lindsey Haut2Melanie Heniff3Karen Crevier4Megan Crittendon5Jill Nault Connors6Julie L. Welch7Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Indianapolis, IndianaIndiana University School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indianapolis, IndianaIntroduction: Being named as a defendant in a malpractice lawsuit is known to be a particularly high-stress and vulnerable time for a physician. Medical malpractice stress syndrome (MMSS) is a consequence of being named as a physician defendant in a malpractice lawsuit. Symptoms include depression, anxiety, and insomnia, which may lead to burnout, loss of confidence in clinical decision-making, substance abuse, strain on personal and professional relationships, and suicidal ideation. Although the legal process requires strict confidentiality regarding the specific details of the legal case, discussing the emotional impact of the case is not prohibited. Given that physicians often do not choose formalized therapy with a licensed professional, there is a recognized need to provide physicians with options to support their wellness during a lawsuit. Methods: The peer support model is a promising option to address the negative impacts to wellness that physician defendants face during medical malpractice lawsuits. We developed and implemented a peer support program to provide a safe, protected space for discussion of the personal impact of a lawsuit and to normalize this experience among peer physicians. Results: Physicians were receptive to joining a peer support group to discuss the personal impacts of being named in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Participants in this novel group-based program found it helpful and would unanimously recommend it to others who are being sued. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this pilot study is the first to implement and assess a facilitated, group-based peer support model for emergency physicians who are named as defendants in malpractice lawsuits. While group discussions demonstrated that symptoms of acute distress and MMSS were prevalent among physicians who were being sued, in this study physicians were receptive to and felt better after peer support sessions. Despite increasing burnout in the specialty of emergency medicine (EM) during the study time frame, burnout did not worsen in participants. Extrapolating from this pilot program, we hypothesize that formal peer support offered by EM groups can be an effective option to normalize the experience of being sued, promote wellness, and benefit physicians who endure the often long and stressful process of a medical malpractice lawsuit.https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wh7x2k6 |
| spellingShingle | Marla C. Doehring Christian C. Strachan Lindsey Haut Melanie Heniff Karen Crevier Megan Crittendon Jill Nault Connors Julie L. Welch Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| title | Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits |
| title_full | Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits |
| title_fullStr | Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits |
| title_full_unstemmed | Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits |
| title_short | Establishing a Novel Group-based Litigation Peer Support Program to Promote Wellness for Physicians Involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits |
| title_sort | establishing a novel group based litigation peer support program to promote wellness for physicians involved in medical malpractice lawsuits |
| url | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9wh7x2k6 |
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