Facilitators of peer coaching/support engagement and dissemination among women at risk for and surviving with breast cancer

Abstract

One-on-one peer coaching/support programs hold promise in promoting healthy outcomes among women at risk for and surviving with breast cancer, with the potential to bridge gaps in “whole person care.” Although popularly cited for their benefits, emerging evidence is mixed and suggests that peer support program impacts may be attenuated by individual- and community-specific factors. We evaluated a national not-for-profit breast cancer organization’s peer support program outcomes (2015–2018) serving women from predominantly Jewish backgrounds to examine program engagement, facilitation, and satisfaction. Of the N = 392 women sampled, 37% utilized the peer support program: the majority were referred by a family member/friend (40%) or had connected with the program online (34%). Logistic regression modeling revealed that mothers (odds ratio [OR] = 1.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04 to 3.19), women at increased genetic risk for breast cancer (OR = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.08 to 3.94), and those who connected with the organization through a family member/friend (OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.23 to 3.15) were significantly more likely to utilize peer support (all p’s < .05). Satisfaction with peer support was high and reliably measured (M = 42.8 out of possible 50; α = .95). These findings emphasize opportunities for peer support programs to serve a range of needs among breast cancer previvors and survivors and increase health care’s organizational capacity to reach and impact this community through trusted and well-trained lay coaches.

The role of peer support and patient navigation for empowerment in breast cancer survivors: implications for community cancer control

“…These findings regarding the role of peer support in navigating women to services are consistent with prior research on cancer control and accessing care, as well as women's overall satisfaction with the services they receive. 17,19 This may occur in the context of both QoL and SDoH, whose significant influences in survivors' lives cannot be ignored. We observed that these relationships can be attenuated by differences in QoL and SDoH as would be expected based on the literature.…”

“…These navigators were trained to share their firsthand experiences with other women in similar situations-acting as peer supporters. In a study by Rehberg et al, 19 most women who used peer support for breast cancer-related services had connected with a CBO online or were referred by a family member or friend. Referral to peer support by a trusted source was more likely to result in a favorable outcome.…”

The Transformation of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncological and Supportive Care in Canada: A Mixed Methods Study

“…Peer coaching and navigation also emerged as a key solution where AYAs could be trained to guide one another through the difficulties faced. Some organizations do offer this type of peer-driven support but not all are specific to the AYA population [ 15 ].…”

Effect of peer mentoring on physical activity in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials

“…In addition, peer support given by individuals who have experienced similar processes can lead to sustaining effective communication with patients with cancer and presenting a new perspective on cancer experiences. In this process, both the physical activity levels and self‐esteem of the patients will be strengthened (Loprinzi Brauer et al, 2016; Rehberg et al, 2021; Walshe et al, 2020).…”