Rapid Expansion of the Healing Emotional Lives of Peers Program During COVID-19: A Second Victim Peer Support Program for Healthcare Professionals.

OBJECTIVES: In 2018, the Healing Emotional Lives of Peers (HELP) Program was implemented at Mayo Clinic Rochester to guide healthcare professionals (HCPs) after a second victim experience, such as adverse patient events or medical errors. The HELP program was expanded to all HCPs in response to the anticipated stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article aims to describe the rapid expansion of the peer support program and evaluate the effectiveness of peer support provided to affected colleagues (ACs). METHODS: Quantitative data collected from workshop evaluations, activations, and associated metrics ( TPS Self-Assessment , Encounter Form , and AC Self-Assessment ) were summarized through standard descriptive statistics using SAS version 9.4 software. Open-ended responses were qualitatively analyzed for iterative themes about the HELP program and associated workshops. RESULTS: Between April 2020 and December 2021, 22 virtual workshops to train peer supporters were conducted with 827 attendees. Of these, 464 employees completed the workshop evaluation. A total of 94.2% rated the workshop as excellent or very good. Participants perceived the workshop to be highly effective and felt more prepared to support ACs. Between May 2020 and December 2021, 247 activations were submitted through the HELP Program's intranet Web site and peer support was requested for 649 employees. Of the 268 TPS Self-Assessments , 226 (84.3%) felt that they provided helpful support to an AC. One hundred ACs evaluated support received, with 93% being "extremely" or "very satisfied." Affected colleagues appreciated having a TPS provide judgment-free support. CONCLUSIONS: The HELP Program promotes a culture of safety by helping HCPs process traumatic events. To effectively meet the needs of patients, healthcare organizations need to prioritize the well-being of their employees through interpersonal support.

Stress management in staff supporting electronic health record transitions: A novel approach.

OBJECTIVE: To describe novel methods of stress management for support staff during electronic health record transition. METHODS: During the electronic health record transition, a variety of Integrative stress management offerings were made available to the support staff. Participants were surveyed regarding stress pre and post intervention on a scale of 1-10. RESULTS: 450 members of the support staff were eligible and 151 surveys were returned. The chair massage was the most utilized offering for which results were analyzed. Pre-intervention average stress was reported at 7.4, and the post-intervention stress levels were 3.6, a reduction of 51% which was statistically significant (p<0.001). DISCUSSION: We recommend that stress management resources be available during all EHR implementations and transitions. These management resources should be discussed during the planning phase, and the resources should be tailored to the time available to the staff to step away from their desks, and space restrictions.

Optimizing delivery to meet demand for integrative medicine services in an academic hospital setting: A pilot study.

CONTEXT: A rapidly growing body of evidence shows the positive benefits of integrative medicine (IM) services for patients in hospital-based settings. IM therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, meditation and relaxation, and animal-assisted therapy, reduce symptom burden of pain, anxiety, and stress and increase sense of well-being and satisfaction in hospitalized patients. Current challenges facing hospitals are to move beyond proof-of-concept studies and to provide hospital-based IM therapies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our quality improvement project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a feasible, scalable, hospital-based "best practice" model for increasing demand for IM services and optimizing their delivery. DESIGN: A multidisciplinary team convened to use quality improvement tools to outline a process for providing IM services. SETTING: A large academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. PARTICIPANTS: IM leadership staff, IM providers, nurses, hospital team members, support staff, and quality improvement staff. INTERVENTIONS: After determining baseline levels of demand and service delivery, we sought to (1) increase nursing staff awareness of available IM services; (2) improve communication between IM providers and nurses; and (3) reinforce communication at the level of nurse supervisors, patients, and family members. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We recorded the numbers and types of IM services ordered at baseline and postimplementation and determined the new delivery rate of requested services. RESULTS: We noted an increase in the number of IM orders, percentage of delivered IM services, and percentage of patients who reported that IM services improved their hospital stay.

Curricular Development and Implementation of a Longitudinal Integrative Medicine Education Experience for Trainees and Health-Care Professionals at an Academic Medical Center.

A growing number of patients and consumers are seeking integrative medicine (IM) approaches as a result of increasing complex medical needs and a greater emphasis on prevention and health promotion. Health-care professionals need to have knowledge of the evidence-based IM resources that are safe and available to patients. Medical institutions have acknowledged the need for education and training in various IM modalities and whole-health approaches in medical curricula. There is a strong need to develop and incorporate well-structured IM curricula across all levels of learning and practice within medicine. This article provides an example of the development, implementation, impact, and assessment of IM education curricula across all learner levels at a large academic medical center.

Effect of Integrative Medicine Services on Pain for Hospitalized Patients at an Academic Health Center.

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceuticals such as opioids have routinely been prescribed for pain management. However, there has been an increasing epidemic of prescription opioid abuse, causing demand for nonpharmacologic complementary and integrative therapies for pain management. OBJECTIVE: To determine if integrative medicine services provided to inpatients could help reduce pain posttreatment. In addition, this study aimed to track total services requested and performed over the fourth quarter of 2017. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective study analyzed documented integrative medicine services requested, indications for the requests, and pre- and posttreatment pain scores. A paired t test was used to determine significance. The study population was inpatients, from October 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017, at Mayo Clinic's Methodist and St. Mary's Hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota. RESULTS: During the study period, 1220 integrative services were provided with a majority being massage therapy (1,064; 87.2%), followed by acupuncture (112; 9.1%). Massage therapy and acupuncture were highly significant (P < 0.00) at reducing pain scores posttreatment to inpatients. Over one-third of patients fell asleep during their therapy service time. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Integrative therapies are appropriate modalities to help alleviate pain and other symptoms for the inpatient population. Due to the effectiveness of these modalities, integrative therapies may be a complement to opioids prescribed for pain. In addition, with over one-third of the patients falling asleep during therapy, our results suggest that integrative therapies can promote a state of relaxation. Future studies are warranted to determine the impact of integrative medicine therapies on sleep deprivation and other common symptoms of hospitalized patients.