Role, Resources, and the Integration of Accompanying Patients in Oncology: A Qualitative Study from the AP’s Perspective

Background: In response to the growing emotional support needs of patients in oncology, peer support was introduced into clinical teams in Quebec, Canada in 2018. These peers, called accompanying patients (APs), are former cancer patients who use their experiential knowledge to provide support to patients during their oncology trajectory. This paper aims to identify APs' perceptions on the program and compare the perspectives of inexperienced and experienced APs, APs in different facilities, and APs in different cancer programs. Methods: We conducted a qualitative cross-sectional study based on 12 semi-structured interviews of APs between June and August 2024 in Quebec, Canada. We explored four themes, building on the Practice Change Model for qualitative analysis: APs’ sources of motivation, influences and environmental factors, resources available for AP integration, and the program’s effects. Results: 12 APs from 5 different facilities participated in an interview. All the APs, both experienced and inexperienced, were highly motivated to participate in the program. Their motivations included a desire to give back to society, to help people and to give meaning to their illness. Both experienced and inexperienced APs were confident in their ability to accompany others. They were aware of their responsibilities and its limits regarding their role as an AP. They pointed out the program’s positive impact on their own emotional well-being and that of the patients. The program also benefited the clinical team, by limiting unhelpful demands from patients and time saved for clinicians. However, experienced APs did not feel well integrated in the healthcare team. Conclusion: We concluded that APs are highly motivated to be in the program. They perceived a need for the program in the current health system. They noted its beneficial effects on patients, on themselves, and on the clinical team. However, more resources need to be directed toward AP integration into the healthcare team.