Development of a Peer Support Model Using Experience-Based Co-Design to Improve Critical Care Recovery.

Area of Science:

• Critical care medicine
• Patient support systems
• Qualitative research methodologies

Background:

• Critical care survivors often face unique challenges requiring tailored support.
• Peer support models can be effective but require careful design to meet diverse needs.
• Experience-based co-design (EBD) offers a patient-centered approach to developing healthcare interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key design requirements for a peer support model for critical care survivors using EBD.
• To understand clinicians', patients', and family members' perspectives on the EBD method in this context.

Main Methods:

• Experience-based co-design (EBD) workshops were conducted to gather qualitative data on peer support preferences.
• Focus groups were used to evaluate participants' experiences with the EBD method.
• Participants included clinicians, critical care survivors, and their family members recruited via snowball and convenience sampling.

Main Results:

• The EBD process yielded consensus on a peer support model with themes of socialization, risk management, and individualized care.
• Participants viewed EBD positively, emphasizing emotional engagement, mutual learning, feeling heard, and practical considerations.
• Key themes from participant perspectives included: positive participation, emotional engagement, learning from others, feeling valued, and practical challenges.

Conclusions:

• Experience-based co-design (EBD) is a feasible and well-received method for developing peer support models for critical care survivors.
• The co-designed model addresses crucial aspects of survivor and family needs.
• Further evaluation in a pilot randomized controlled trial is recommended to validate the model and the EBD methodology.