ArticleJMIR medical education2026
Effect of an Online Continuing Professional Development Course on Physicians' Intention to Approach a Colleague in Difficulty: Mixed Methods Convergent Study.
Article in JMIR medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundBurnout and psychological distress are prevalent among physicians. Peer support appears to play a protective role, yet little is known about training interventions that motivate physicians to approach peers in difficulty, as such effects are often overlooked or assessed using nonvalidated tools.
objectiveWe evaluated the effects of an online continuing professional development (CPD) course designed to increase physicians' intention to approach a colleague in difficulty.
methodsPhysicians who completed a 1-hour asynchronous online CPD course between March 2022 and May 2024 were invited to participate in this mixed methods convergent study. The e-learning course aimed to increase physicians' confidence in approaching colleagues in difficulty by recognizing signs of psychological distress, offering support, and referring them to appropriate resources. Participant characteristics were collected, and behavioral intention to approach a colleague in difficulty along with its determinants were measured pre- and postcourse using the validated CPD-REACTION tool. Differences in mean pre-post intention scores were assessed using 2-tailed paired t tests (n=466) and generalized estimating equations. Factors associated with postcourse intention were examined using multivariate analysis (n=466). Four months later, the proportion of physicians reporting adoption of the behavior was calculated (n=61). Qualitative responses to open-ended questions were analyzed thematically using behavior change models, and behavior change techniques used in the course were identified. Quantitative and qualitative results were triangulated. We reported results following STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) and SRQR (Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research) guidelines for quantitative and qualitative analyses, respectively.
resultsAmong 792 participating physicians, 466 (58.8%) completed online questionnaires pre- and postcourse. The average participant age was 48 (SD 12.4) years; 43.5% (332/762) were women, and 86% (655/762) were specialists. The average precourse intention score was 3.88 (SD 1.73) and average postcourse intention score was 4.92 (SD 1.40), for an adjusted mean difference of 1.06 (95% CI 0.93-1.20; P<.001). Factors associated with postcourse intention were beliefs about capabilities (β=0.52; P<.001), social influences (β=0.27; P<.001), and moral norm (β=0.26; P=.03; R
conclusionsThis online CPD course increased physicians' intention to approach a colleague in difficulty. The results highlight beliefs about capabilities as a key determinant of this behavioral intention. The study suggests that online learning has strong potential to raise awareness about peer support and ultimately build a culture of care among health care workers.
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