Co-designing peer-to-peer support in oncology: A participatory study on the development of the PaRole OncO France...

Accompanying Patients (APs) are individuals with lived experience of cancer who provide emotional, informational, and navigational support to patients. However, peer-to-peer support interventions in oncology remain inconsistently developed and rarely integrated into clinical practice in France. This study aims (1) to co-design a context-sensitive peer-to-peer support intervention for oncology units, (2) to identify institutional enablers and barriers to implementation, and (3) to develop tailored implementation pathways using implementation science frameworks.

A multi-site participatory study was conducted in nine oncology units across four French healthcare institutions. Eight patient partners were involved as co-researchers contributing to study design, facilitation of co-design workshops, and iterative model refinement. A structured co-design methodology guided four interactive workshops per unit. Data were collected through workshop materials, observation notes, and co-researcher reflections, and analyzed thematically using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) framework, and the resulting intervention was described using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR).

Twenty workshops involving 60 stakeholders (APs, healthcare professionals and managers) resulted in the co-construction of a peer-to-peer support model aligned with local care structures. Three key outputs emerged: (1) a shared definition of the APs role, including expected psychosocial competencies and training needs; (2) identification of institutional enablers and barriers to implementation, such as leadership support, physical environment constraints, and role legitimacy; and (3) tailored implementation pathways, including onboarding, supervision, and integration into care processes. The resulting PaRole OncO France (PROOF) model was designed to be adaptable while preserving core components.

This study demonstrates the feasibility and value of co-designing a peer-to-peer support intervention in oncology, grounded in lived experience and local context.

The PROOF model offers a replicable framework for integrating APs into cancer care teams. Findings provide actionable guidance for institutions seeking to implement sustainable, patient-partnered peer-to-peer support programs.