Hermioni L Amonoo1,2,3, Lauren E Harnedy4, Sophie C Staton4, Regina M Longley5, Elizabeth Daskalakis6, Areej El-Jawahri7,8, Jeff C Huffman7,4. 1. Department of Psychosocial Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA. hermioni_amonoo@dfci.harvard.edu. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. hermioni_amonoo@dfci.harvard.edu. 3. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. hermioni_amonoo@dfci.harvard.edu. 4. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 5. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. 6. Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. 7. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 8. Mass General Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Peer support has been utilized and associated with clinical outcomes (e.g., improved mood) in patients with solid malignancies. However, to date, there is minimal literature examining peer support among patients with hematologic malignancies and/or patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, we completed a systematic review using five databases to assess the relationship between peer support and clinical outcomes (e.g., distress, physical symptoms) among patients with hematologic malignancies or HSCT recipients. RESULTS: The eight included studies examined peer support in a total of 574 patients. Four intervention studies highlighted the potential benefits of peer support, such as improved physical symptoms. Two studies, one interventional and one cross-sectional, highlighted the need for more empirically based peer support interventions in the HSCT population. CONCLUSION: Among patients with hematologic malignancies and/or HSCT recipients, there is a dearth of literature examining the association between peer support and outcomes, although few studies have described a positive association between peer support and better health outcomes. More randomized controlled studies are needed to better understand the role of peer support and peer support interventions on outcomes in these vulnerable populations.
BACKGROUND: Peer support has been utilized and associated with clinical outcomes (e.g., improved mood) in patients with solid malignancies. However, to date, there is minimal literature examining peer support among patients with hematologic malignancies and/or patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, we completed a systematic review using five databases to assess the relationship between peer support and clinical outcomes (e.g., distress, physical symptoms) among patients with hematologic malignancies or HSCT recipients. RESULTS: The eight included studies examined peer support in a total of 574 patients. Four intervention studies highlighted the potential benefits of peer support, such as improved physical symptoms. Two studies, one interventional and one cross-sectional, highlighted the need for more empirically based peer support interventions in the HSCT population. CONCLUSION: Among patients with hematologic malignancies and/or HSCT recipients, there is a dearth of literature examining the association between peer support and outcomes, although few studies have described a positive association between peer support and better health outcomes. More randomized controlled studies are needed to better understand the role of peer support and peer support interventions on outcomes in these vulnerable populations.
Authors: Sarah D Kowitt; Katrina R Ellis; Veronica Carlisle; Nivedita L Bhushan; Kristin Z Black; Kaitlyn Brodar; Nicole M Cranley; Kia L Davis; Eugenia Eng; Michelle Y Martin; Jared McGuirt; Rebeccah L Sokol; Patrick Y Tang; Anissa I Vines; Jennifer S Walker; Edwin B Fisher Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2018-10-06 Impact factor: 3.603