Peer Support Interventions for People With CKD: A Scoping Review

Formalized peer support is a promising approach for addressing the emotional and practical needs of people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We systematically identified and summarized peer support interventions studied in individuals with CKD with or without kidney replacement therapy (KRT).

Search of electronic databases and grey literature sources in March 2023.

Studies of any design were eligible if they reported sufficient detail on peer support interventions and outcomes for adults with CKD with or without KRT and/or their caregivers.

We extracted information on study and intervention characteristics and reported outcomes using established frameworks. We summarized quantitative data descriptively and qualitative data thematically. Our approach observed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews.

We included 77 studies describing 56 unique peer support interventions. Most reports were program evaluations (39%) or randomized controlled trials (27%) published after 2013. Two-thirds of interventions focused on in-center hemodialysis or mixed CKD populations, and three quarters were integrated within a kidney care clinic or program. Whereas most peer interactions centered on informational support, few programs offered focused support in areas such as transplant navigation or dialysis modality selection. Only one-third of outcomes were assessed against a comparator group, with results suggesting improvements in psychological health with peer support.

Heterogeneity of included studies; lack of rigorous program evaluation.

This review suggests recent growth in peer support programming with a variety of formats and delivery methods to address the diverse needs of people living with kidney disease. Notable gaps in peer support availability for transplant and home dialysis recipients and the lack of rigorous evaluations present opportunities to expand the reach and impact of peer support in the kidney care context.

Many people with kidney disease struggle with isolation, making decisions about their care, and declines in their mental well-being. Peer support is a way of providing information and emotional support to patients and their loved ones by connecting them with others who have a shared experience of kidney disease. We summarize the features of peer support programs worldwide and the settings in which they have been studied. We searched the medical literature and found 56 unique peer support programs reported in 77 studies. Most studies were from the last 10 years, targeted people receiving hemodialysis, and focused on sharing information about kidney disease. Studies summarized in this review revealed notable gaps in peer support availability for transplant and home dialysis recipients. Many studies found improvements in people's mental health, quality of life, and confidence in managing their health after initiation of peer support. These findings suggest there are unrealized opportunities to expand the reach and impact of peer support in the care of patients with kidney disease.