Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University

Using Peer Influence to Increase Medical Resident Participation in One-On-One Support

In 2010, Stanford launched the Physician Wellness Committee, with one guiding principle: the professional fulfillment of physicians is inextricably linked to high quality, safe and patient-centered care. This demonstrates the value of strategic investment in physician health to its missions of medical care, teaching and research, by creating a governance structure with accountability and resource commitment, and emphasizing the need for scholarship to research the connection between physician health and system outcomes.

Similarly, this project aims to demonstrate efficacy of the Popular Opinion Leader approach for culture change to increase participation in existing mental health resources—coaching or therapy sessions that employ evidence-based cognitive and behavioral targeting of drivers of burnout for which physicians are at higher-than-average risk. The secondary objective is to assess the impact of MAP coaching on resident wellness. Confidential coaching and psychotherapy is available to all residents through Stanford Well-connect program, yet despite 7 years of advocacy, only about 25% participate. It is hypothesized that a significantly higher portion of residents will participate, if it is promoted with a Popular Opinion Leader intervention. Using a randomized-residency-program trial, Leland Stanford Junior University will assess participation rates among residents who are offered these individual support resources with versus without a Popular Opinion Leader intervention.