Physicians facing a medico-legal concern, legal action, or complaint may experience confusion, disappointment, self-doubt, guilt, or shame. All of these emotions can take a toll on a physician’s wellbeing and affect their ability to practise safely.
When you as a CMPA member contact us with a medico-legal concern, you will be connected with one of our physician advisors. These knowledgeable physicians will support you with expert medico-legal advice. But, more than that, they will help you manage the emotions you may experience from a medico-legal concern. If needed, they will connect you to other resources to support your wellbeing.
Our physician advisors are here for you
Physician advisors are physicians with medico-legal expertise who understand what it’s like to deal with a medico-legal event. They have personal experience with the demands of being in active practice. In addition, they receive ongoing medico-legal training on issues that can affect your practice, such as medical assistance in dying and electronic records.
Physician advisors are also trained to support your health during a medico-legal difficulty.
When you reach out to us, you can speak to a physician advisor who will listen to you with care and empathy. They will then advise and guide you in finding a suitable resolution to your specific situation.
As part of that assistance, they may encourage you to take a pause and talk about your feelings and anxieties. It’s important to acknowledge the personal cost of a medico-legal concern. They may talk to you about treating yourself with compassion and being alert to potential risks to your emotional health and your ability to practise safely.
There is a link between physician health and quality of care. Research shows that feelings of distress may reduce physicians’ ability to deliver care, increase medical-legal risk, and impact the healthcare system.
Speaking with one of our physician advisors is like being in a safe space. Conversations are confidential, empathetic, and non-judgmental. Our advisors are trained to recognize difficult emotions, including stress or distress. If you need additional emotional support, they will guide you to other resources that can help you take the steps necessary to improve wellness.
You can see how physician advisors approach these discussions by watching a series of videos on the our physician wellness web page. Here you can witness physician advisors, along with CMPA-appointed lawyers, describing in their own words how they can support you in managing your emotions.
Support that makes a difference
Members have told us that talking peer-to-peer to a CMPA physician advisor makes a difference to their feelings of wellbeing. A survey of members found the average level of stress drops significantly following a phone call with a physician advisor. As well, almost all physicians surveyed agreed that the physician advisor created a non-judgmental and supportive environment.
Additional resources
Our physician advisors have pulled together a number of wellness resources that may help you take care of your emotional and mental health. Go to our physician wellness page to find links to provincial and territorial physician health programs, as well as CMPA articles with information about working through various medical-legal matters such as College and hospital complaints.
The bottom line
If you have a medico-legal issue or concern, no matter how small, contact the CMPA and speak with one of our physician advisors for peer-to-peer support. They will give you expert advice and guidance, along with a safe space to talk about the emotions you may be experiencing.
Additional reading
