Peer Support for Diabetes Management in Primary Care and Community Settings in Anhui Province, China

Abstract

PURPOSE We evaluated a peer leader-support program (PLSP) for diabetes self-management in China in terms of acceptability and feasibility; implementation; perceived advantages; disadvantages and barriers; reach and recruitment; effectiveness in terms of diabetes knowledge and clinical impacts; adoption; and sustainability.

Contributions of Peer Support to Health, Health Care, and Prevention: Papers from Peers for Progress

“…Key findings curated by Peers for Progress and reported by papers in this supplement [35][36][37][38][39][40][41] help to guide these efforts.…”

“…In light of successes with diabetes described below, the Anhui Provincial Health Bureau in China has extended a peer support program to additional communities and to cardiovascular disease prevention and management. 35 New funding from the UK government and collaboration with Diabetes UK will extend the program from Cambridgeshire 20 to 8 areas in the Eastern region and West Midlands. After its own initial appraisal of 15 sites, Texas-based WellMed extended its peer support program to all 23 of the clinical sites in its network.…”

“…Their changes over time were compared with those of a group of individuals who were trained but then declined to work as peer supporters and those of a group of patients with comparable glycemic control who did not attend the training pro- A demonstration project in community health centers in Anhui province, described by Zhong and colleagues in this supplement, set a model for adaptation of peer support to Chinese needs and culture. 35 The program trained mostly retired adults with diabetes to co-lead monthly educational meetings with staff of community health centers. The peer leaders also led discussion groups that provided more opportunity for participants to talk about self-management plans, obstacles encountered, and successes.…”

“…46 As noted in the description of the program in Anhui, China above, one important contribution of peer leaders is the way they can serve as "the bridge to link [the clinic] with patients in their served neighborhood." 35 …”

“…The universality of emotional support was suggested in the program in Anhui province 35 in which a number of participants reported valuing the opportunity to share feelings with their peer supporters. In China and other Asian countries, cultural emphases on the fundamental commitment of the family to its members brings a reluctance to obligate family members with one's own concerns.…”