Authors' recommendations: Peer support may provide some benefits to patients with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and HIV/AIDS, but the findings are inconsistent and evidence is limited. In patients with type 2 diabetes, peer support was shown to improve clinical, health behavioural, empowerment, and psychological outcomes. Peer support was also shown to reduce pain, anxiety, emergency room visits and increase self-efficacy, condition knowledge in patients with heart disease. In patients with HIV/AIDS, peer support may favourably affect sexual risk behavior, attitudes and cognition, HIV knowledge and substance use. Results from a cost-effectiveness analysis of peer support suggest that the intervention may be cost-effective in patients with diabetes, and there was no statistically significant difference in total health care cost between peer support and usual care. Peer support is recommended as a good practice to increase treatment adherence for patients with HIV/AIDS but because of lack of strong supportive evidence, the recommendation is only on the basis of individual patient circumstances.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2013

URL for published report: http://www.cadth.ca/media/pdf/htis/dec-2013/RC0494%20Peer%20support%20for%20chronic%20disease%20Final.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health

Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553; Fax: +1 613 226 5392;

Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca

Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca

Copyright: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)