Economic Value of Peer Support Program in German Hospitals

Acknowledging peer support as the cornerstone in mitigating the psychosocial burden arising from the second victim phenomenon, this study assesses the economic benefits of a Peer Support Program (PSP), compared to data of the Resilience In Stressful Events (RISE) program in the US, within the acute inpatient care sector in Germany. Employing a Markov model, this economic evaluation analyzes the cost benefits, including sick day and dropout costs, over a 1-year period, comparing scenarios with and without the Peer Support Program from a hospital perspective. The costs were calculated as an example based on a hospital with 1,000 employees. The estimations are considered conservative. The anticipated outcomes demonstrate an average cost saving of €6,672 per healthcare worker participating in the Peer Support Program, leading to an annual budgetary impact of approximately €6,67 Mio. for the studied hospital. The integration of a PSP proves economically advantageous for German hospitals, not only preserving financial resources but also reducing absenteeism, and mitigating turnover, thereby enhancing overall patient care.