Peer Support

Stronger Together
An evidence-based, peer-to-peer supportive program that uses trained, supervised cancer survivor-volunteers to fill gaps in professional support services and assist cancer patients and their families navigate their treatment.

OBJECTIVES:
‣Inform patients and care partners about cancer related topics
‣Decrease distress for patients and care partners
‣Increase adherence to treatment
‣Provide emotional and navigational support for patients and care partners
‣Build a sense of community among the cancer survivor population

OUTCOMES:
‣Reduction in patient and care partner distress
‣Improved cancer awareness among patients and care partners
‣Reduced burden on hospital staff
‣Increased sense of community and purpose for peer mentor volunteers

IMPACT:
More than 300 women who have experienced cancer have been trained to act as peer mentor advocates, providing support and navigational aid to women recently diagnosed with cancer in Viet Nam. The program has been incorporated into four oncology centers; Hue Central Hospital, K3 National Cancer Hospital in Hanoi, Hung Vuong Women’s Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and at the Can Tho Oncology Hospital, and is coordinated and supervised by a clinical team at each site.

An NCI-funded trial (PA-18-591) of the Stronger Together Peer Support Program (ST) was piloted among breast and gynecologic cancer patients at the 4 project sites in Vietnam and was implemented by Global Focus on Cancer (GFC) and our partners in 2020-23 with NYU as our academic partner. The results demonstrated this model of support was acceptable to peer mentors, patients and healthcare workers, reduced distress and anxiety and provided navigational support (manuscript accepted for publication in the Journal of Global Oncology). The study provides evidence that the ST peer support model, when integrated into oncology settings, under the supervision of program coordinators, and delivered by appropriately trained peer mentors, can help improve psychological outcomes, including depression, self-efficacy, and affectionate social support among breast and gynecologic cancer patients. ST is also highly feasible and acceptable among healthcare providers and patients, does not require significant resources, and can lessen the workload of oncologists and oncology nurses.

Currently, we are partnering with the Rwanda Women’s Cancer Relief Foundation to trial the Toolkit among breast cancer patients at 3 sites in Rwanda. We have also piloted the program with Soul Ryeders among patients women’s cancers in Rye, NY and the Toolkit is being used to guide the development of a peer navigation resource for Chinese and Vietnamese immigrant populations in Sydney, Australia with Western Sydney University.