Key Features Of Peer Support In Chronic Disease Prevention And Management.
Peer support from community health workers, promotores de salud, and others through community and health care organizations can provide social support and other assistance that enhances health. There is substantial evidence for both the effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of peer support, as well as for its feasibility, reach, and sustainability. We discuss findings from Peers for Progress, a program of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, to examine when peer support does not work, guide dissemination of peer support programs, and help integrate approaches such as e-health into peer support. Success factors for peer support programs include proactive implementation, attention to participants' emotions, and ongoing supervision. Reaching those whom conventional clinical and preventive services too often fail to reach; reaching whole populations, such as people with diabetes, rather than selected samples; and addressing behavioral health are strengths of peer support that can help achieve health care that is efficient and of high quality. Challenges for policy makers going forward include encouraging workforce development, balancing quality control with maintaining key features of peer support, and ensuring that underresourced organizations can develop and manage peer support programs.
Edwin B. Fisher (edfisher@unc.edu) is a professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health (GSGPH), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), and global director of the Peers for Progress program of the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.
Edwin B
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Fisher
Juana Ballesteros is manager of community public health outreach at the Illinois Department of Health, in Chicago.
Juana
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Ballesteros
Nivedita Bhushan is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior in the GSGPH at UNC-CH.
Nivedita
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Bhushan
Muchieh M. Coufal is director of the Asian Center for Health Education, in Austin, Texas.
Muchieh M
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Coufal
Sarah D. Kowitt is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior in the GSGPH at UNC-CH.
Sarah D
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Kowitt
A. Manuela McDonough is associate director of the Institute for Hispanic Health at the National Council of La Raza, in Washington, D.C.
A Manuela
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McDonough
Humberto Parada is a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology in the GSGPH at UNC-CH.
Humberto
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Parada
Jennifer B. Robinette is an administrative manager at UNC-CH.
Jennifer B
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Robinette
Rebeccah L. Sokol is a doctoral student in the Department of Health Behavior in the GSGPH at UNC-CH.
Rebeccah L
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Sokol
Patrick Y. Tang is a program manager at Peers for Progress and in the Department of Health Behavior in the GSGPH at UNC-CH.
Patrick Y
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Tang
Diana Urlaub is a program manager at Peers for Progress and in the Department of Health Behavior in the GSGPH at UNC-CH.
Diana
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Urlaub
D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000458:organization & administration; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012944:Social Support
Chronic Care; Disparities; International/global health studies; Public Health; Special Populations