Title: Community-based peer support in diabetes; factors associated with success and impact on volunteers providing support.
Funder: Department of Health (England)

Abstract: Background People with diabetes face difficulties in managing their condition well. Psychological and psychosocial issues have been identified as important barriers to diabetes care, emphasizing in particular the strictness of the diabetes regimen, including diet, exercise and monitoring. Peer support, involving experience sharing, mentoring and role-modelling, has been proposed as a way of overcoming some of the barriers identified as important in impeding successful diabetes self-management. There is already research underway to assess the effectiveness of peer support for participating patients but there is a dearth of evidence on the impact on the volunteer peer supporters themselves and how they should be selected, trained and themselves supported. Aims The purpose of this research is to generate evidence about the how the NHS should recruit, train and supervise volunteer peer supporters for people with type 2 diabetes, and also to understand the impact of providing peer support on those volunteering to take on this role. The specific research questions are: Q1: What are the benefits and costs to people who become peer supporters in terms of their health, social life and economic factors? Q2: What are the characteristics of an effective peer supporter, as assessed objectively by the health outcomes achieved by recipients of support and subjectively by recipients’ evaluations? A further aim is to prepare and evaluate a toolkit for others to use in recruiting, training and supervising peer supporters for people with Type 2 diabetes. Plan of Investigation Funding is secure for a trial of individual and group support for 1,200 people with diabetes (Peers for Progress). This parallel proposal investigates health impact and correlates of effectiveness for the 180-270 peer supporters, measured initially and at trial end. Q1 Plan: Measure impact on peer supporter HbA1c, lipids, BP, weight, self-efficacy, medication adherence, quality of life, no of contacts. Peer supporter experiences Q2 Plan: Defining effectiveness will involve multivariate analyses and developing measures of outcome effectiveness (from behavioural, psychological, biomedical & quality of life data), operational (contacts, time spent) and relational effectiveness from participants’ evaluations Development, evaluation & dissemination of Peer Support Toolkit. Potential Impact Providing support may well benefit peers as well as those they assist, but some will encounter difficulties. This research will guide wider implementation if efficacious and help health services avoid adverse effects. Specific impacts include: 1. Strengthening an NHS peer support programme. We will establish a peer network offering long-term support to people with diabetes, while at the same time maximising benefits and minimising harms for volunteers who assist with this. 2. Evidence-based toolkit for commissioners and providers to aid implementation of peer support for Type 2 diabetes, using the following data: a. Evidence on the health impact for volunteers. b. Evidence to guide recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers who help others with a long term condition.


Research activity codes: 7.1 INDIVIDUAL CARE NEEDS
Health categories: METABOLIC AND ENDOCRINE