Helge Skirbekk1, Live Korsvold2, Arnstein Finset2. 1. Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway; Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Learning and Mastery in Health, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; Faculty of Business Administration, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway; Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: helge.skirbekk@medisin.uio.no. 2. Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore what peer supporters, patients and their relatives want and gain from peer support in cancer care. METHODS: Focus group interviews with peer supporters, and in-depth interviews with peer supporters, patients and relatives (N=38) and observations of daily activities in a Vardesenter ("Cairn Centre"). RESULTS: Peer supporters helped cancer patients and relatives with coping in and outside the hospital in several ways: (1) conveying hope and providing ways to cope in situations where despair would often be prevalent, thus protecting against unhealthy stress; (2) being someone who had the same experiences of disease and treatment, and thus providing a framework for positive social comparisons; and (3) to be an important supplement to family and health care providers. To be working as a peer supporter was also found to be positive and important for the peer supporters themselves. CONCLUSION: The peer support program represented a valuable supplement to informal support from family and friends and healthcare providers, and gave the peer supporters a new role as "professionally unprofessional". PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Organised peer support represents a feasible intervention to promote coping for cancer survivors.
OBJECTIVE: To explore what peer supporters, patients and their relatives want and gain from peer support in cancer care. METHODS: Focus group interviews with peer supporters, and in-depth interviews with peer supporters, patients and relatives (N=38) and observations of daily activities in a Vardesenter ("Cairn Centre"). RESULTS: Peer supporters helped cancerpatients and relatives with coping in and outside the hospital in several ways: (1) conveying hope and providing ways to cope in situations where despair would often be prevalent, thus protecting against unhealthy stress; (2) being someone who had the same experiences of disease and treatment, and thus providing a framework for positive social comparisons; and (3) to be an important supplement to family and health care providers. To be working as a peer supporter was also found to be positive and important for the peer supporters themselves. CONCLUSION: The peer support program represented a valuable supplement to informal support from family and friends and healthcare providers, and gave the peer supporters a new role as "professionally unprofessional". PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Organised peer support represents a feasible intervention to promote coping for cancer survivors.
Authors: Omsalimeh Roudi; Batool Tirgari; Mohammad Ali Cheraghi; Nahid Dehghan Nayeri; Masoud Rayyani Journal: Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery Date: 2019-01
Authors: Kristina Holmegaard Nørskov; Dorthe Overgaard; Jannie Boesen; Anne Struer; Sarah Elke Weber Due El-Azem; Anders Tolver; Kirsten Lomborg; Lars Kjeldsen; Mary Jarden Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2020-10-13 Impact factor: 3.603