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Purpose: Radiologists work primarily in collaboration with other healthcare professionals. As such, these stakeholder perspectives are of value to the development and assessment of educational outcomes during the transition to competency-based medical education. Our aim in this study was to determine which aspects of the Royal College CanMEDS competencies for diagnostic radiology are considered most important by future referring physicians. Methods: Institutional ethics approval was obtained. After pilot testing, an anonymous online survey was sent to all residents and clinical fellows at our university. Open-ended questions asked respondents to describe the aspects of radiologist service they felt were most important. Thematic analysis of the free-text responses was performed using a grounded theory approach. The resulting themes were mapped to the 2015 CanMEDS Key Competencies. Results: 115 completed surveys were received from residents and fellows from essentially all specialties and years of training (out of 928 invited). Major themes were 1) timeliness and accessibility of service, 2) quality of reporting, and 3) acting as a valued team member. The competencies identified as important by resident physicians were largely consistent with the CanMEDS framework, although not all key competencies were covered in the responses. Conclusions: This study illustrates how CanMEDS roles and competencies may be exemplified in a concrete and specialty-specific manner from the perspective of key stakeholders. Our survey results provide further insight into specific objectives for teaching and assessing these competencies in radiology residency training, with the ultimate goal of improving patient care through strengthened communication and working relationships.

BACKGROUND Physicians experience higher rates of burnout relative to the general population. Concerns of confidentiality, stigma, and professional identifies as healthcare providers act as barriers to seeking and receiving appropriate support. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, factors that contribute to burnout and barriers to seeking support have been amplified, elevating overall risks of mental distress and burnout for physicians. OBJECTIVE The current paper describes the rapid development and implementation of a peer support program within a healthcare organization located in London, Ontario, Canada. METHODS A peer support program leveraging existing infrastructures within the healthcare organization was developed and launched in April of 2020. RESULTS Data gathered over two waves of peer leadership training and program evaluations suggest a number of topics were covered through the peer support program. Further, enrollment continues to increase in size and scope over the two waves of program deployments. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest the peer support program is acceptable to physicians and can be easily and feasibly implemented within a healthcare organization. The structured program development and implementation can be adopted by other organizations in support of emerging needs and challenges.

Background Physicians experience higher rates of burnout relative to the general population. Concerns of confidentiality, stigma, and professional identities as health care providers act as barriers to seeking and receiving appropriate support. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, factors that contribute to burnout and barriers to seeking support have been amplified, elevating the overall risks of mental distress and burnout for physicians. Objective This paper aimed to describe the rapid development and implementation of a peer support program within a health care organization located in London, Ontario, Canada. Methods A peer support program leveraging existing infrastructures within the health care organization was developed and launched in April 2020. The “Peers for Peers” program drew from the work of Shapiro and Galowitz in identifying key components within hospital settings that contributed to burnout. The program design was derived from a combination of the peer support frameworks from the Airline Pilot Assistance Program and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. Results Data gathered over 2 waves of peer leadership training and program evaluations highlighted a diversity of topics covered through the peer support program. Further, enrollment continued to increase in size and scope over the 2 waves of program deployments into 2023. Conclusions Findings suggest that the peer support program is acceptable to physicians and can be easily and feasibly implemented within a health care organization. The structured program development and implementation can be adopted by other organizations in support of emerging needs and challenges.