# Role, Resources, and Integration of Accompanying Patients in Oncology: A Qualitative Study from the Accompanying Patient’s Perspective

## TL;DR

This study explores how trained former cancer patients support new patients and highlights the need for better integration of these peer supporters into healthcare teams.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the role and integration of peer supporters in oncology from the perspective of the accompanying patients themselves.

## Key findings

- Accompanying patients are highly motivated and confident in their ability to support others.
- The program benefits patients, accompanying patients, and clinical teams by improving emotional well-being and reducing unnecessary demands.
- Experienced accompanying patients feel under-integrated into healthcare teams and require more resources for full integration.

## Abstract

Cancer patients face significant emotional and psychological distress during their healthcare journey. To improve care for cancer patients, a peer support program was introduced in Quebec, Canada, in 2018. Former cancer patients are trained to become Accompanying Patients (APs) and then are matched with newly diagnosed cancer patients. APs have unique expertise embedded in their experience with cancer and can orient new patients throughout their treatment and recovery. In this study, we conducted interviews with APs, exploring their motivations, their integration into clinical teams, and the program’s impacts. We found that the APs were highly motivated and confident in their ability to make a difference in patients’ lives and within the clinical team. However, our research highlights how more resources need to be allocated toward integrating APs into healthcare teams.

Background: In response to the growing emotional support needs of patients in oncology, peer support was introduced into clinical teams in Quebec, Canada, in 2018. These peers, called accompanying patients (APs), are former cancer patients who use their experiential knowledge to provide support to patients during their oncology journey. This paper aims to identify APs’ perceptions of the program by including a diversity of perspectives. We include inexperienced and experienced APs, APs in different facilities, and APs in different cancer programs. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study based on 12 semi-structured interviews of APs between June and August 2024 in Quebec, Canada. We explored four themes, building on the Practice Change Model for qualitative analysis: APs’ sources of motivation, influences and environmental factors, resources available for AP integration, and the program’s effects. Results: 12 APs from 5 facilities participated in an interview. All the APs, both experienced and inexperienced, were highly motivated to participate in the program. Their motivations included a desire to give back to society, to help people and to give meaning to their illness. Both experienced and inexperienced APs were confident in their ability to accompany others. They were aware of their responsibilities and its limits regarding their role as an AP. They pointed out the program’s positive impact on their own emotional well-being and that of the patients. The program also benefited the clinical team, by limiting unhelpful demands from patients and saving time for clinicians. However, experienced APs did not feel well integrated into the healthcare team. Conclusions: We concluded that APs are highly motivated to be in the program. They perceived a need for the program in the current health system. They noted its beneficial effects on patients, on themselves, and on the clinical team. However, more resources need to be directed toward integrating APs into healthcare teams.