Abstract

Background: Healthcare worker burnout has reached a critical level globally, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting in severe consequences. While individual-level interventions predominate, peer support programs (PSPs) have emerged as a validated intervention at the individual-organizational interface to mitigate burnout and improve well-being. Objective: This literature review maps the utilization of digital technologies in enabling PSPs for healthcare workers (HCWs), identifying the technologies used, the activities they support, and the associated advantages, challenges and impacts of these programs. Method: A search was conducted across five multidisciplinary academic databases. Twenty-seven peer-reviewed articles and conference papers met the inclusion criteria, focusing on technology-enabled PSPs for direct HCWs. Results: The review identifies six primary technology categories, with video conferencing being the most prevalent, followed by email, online surveys, forums, social media, and text messaging. These tools support a full lifecycle of activities: recruitment, scheduling, informing, meeting, and feedback collection. Key advantages include "anytime, anywhere" flexibility and reduced barriers to entry through anonymity. Conversely, primary challenges include perceived lack of safety, fear of sharing sensitive information, and low participation rates. Discussion: The findings highlight a heavy reliance on "mix-and-match" Web 2.0 commercial technologies rather than purpose-built solutions. Furthermore, a significant gap exists in technological granularity and the direct evaluation of digital tools, as most research is currently grounded in Health Sciences and Occupational Psychology rather than Information Systems. Conclusion: Technology-enabled PSPs offer significant potential to mitigate burnout by increasing accessibility. However, to overcome existing challenges, future research must move toward co-design strategies and the exploration of innovative features, such as AI-driven moderation and decentralized Web 3.0 frameworks, to ensure these platforms are specifically tailored to the unique needs of high-risk occupational groups.

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