UCAN care centre: Evaluating this new service

Why this project was conducted?

Studies of peer support in the context of cancer have tended to focus on the views and experiences of those who accept offers of such support. However, only a minority of people with cancer join peer support programmes, and drop-out rates are high. Few studies have considered the views of people who do not participate, or those who subsequently drop out, resulting in limited understanding about why people do not use peer support services. This project was conducted to examine uses of peer support among people living with a urological cancer.

How this project was carried out?

26 one-to-one interviews were conducted to investigate experiences of needing and receiving information and support among who had and who had not used the UCAN cancer care centre and its various peer support opportunities.

What were the main findings of this project?

Most participants talked about valuing hearing about other people's experiences with cancer and being able to offer advice or support to others. However, they did not necessarily need the centre's services to facilitate this: some found the support they needed within their existing networks. A minority reported avoiding speaking with other patients in order to protect their own or the other patients' emotional wellbeing. Both giving and receiving support may have negative as well as positive consequences.

Conclusions

The desire for engaging in peer support activities is variable. Services need to be sensitive to the reasons that can make it more and less helpful to different people.

Contact person

Zoë Skea ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Collaborators

Sara MacLennan, Vikki Entwistle and James N'Dow

Publications

Skea ZC, MacLennan SJ, Entwistle VA, N'Dow J. Enabling mutual helping? Variable needs for facilitated peer support (submitted for consideration for publication – Patient Education and Counseling)

Skea ZC, MacLennan SJ, Entwistle VA, N'Dow J. Communicating attitude: patients value talk that signals authentically interested care (in preparation)

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