AMA online education aimed at reducing COVID-related ‘psychological injury’ among physicians

Chicago — The American Medical Association has made available five new open access educational modules in an effort to provide physicians with proven strategies to support their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acute stress experienced by physicians and care teams during the pandemic requires that hospitals and health systems have an infrastructure and resources to support health care professionals, AMA states in a recent press release.

The modules “provide a pathway to rapidly reconfigure priorities around physician well-being and meet the biggest new drivers of stress in a crisis setting,” AMA President Susan R. Bailey said in the release. “Just as we are able to flatten the COVID-19 infection curve through proactive use of masks, hand hygiene and social distancing, it is necessary to take steps to reduce psychological injury involving health professionals.”

The modules are:

• Caring for the Health Care Workforce During Crisis: Helps health care organizations take steps before, during or after a crisis to help care teams cope with acute stress.
• Establishing a Chief Wellness Officer Position: Details how this new executive leadership role can implement strategies for professional well-being.
• Chief Wellness Officer Roadmap: Outlines a step-by-step approach for new CWOs to improve the practice environment and navigate organizational success.
• Peer Support Programs for Physicians: Provides guidance on establishing a peer support program to mitigate the emotional impact of stressful events.
• Patient Portal Optimization: Explains how this technology can help patients and physicians improve communication, accessibility and efficiency to reduce office visits while providing more coordinated, less expensive care.

AMA also is providing access to two free surveys to help health care organizations monitor their care team members during the pandemic. These surveys can be used to track stress levels, identify drivers of stress and develop infrastructure based on responses from health care professionals.