Peer counselling for doctors in Norway: A qualitative study of the relationship between support and surveillance

The study showed the need for a continuous awareness of a balance between the informal and the more formalized elements in the framework for peer support. This is of importance for how the service can contribute to better health among doctors and to secure quality and safety in the treatment of patients. The analysis can also be used to demonstrate the consequences of how the peer support program is designed - such as the degree of formalisation and the balance between “hard” and “soft” ways to regulate the interaction between peer counsellors and doctors - for the ability to achieve the stated objectives of the service.