<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and arterial hypertension (AH) are among the greatest challenges facing health systems worldwide and require comprehensive patient-centred care. The key to successful management in chronic patients is self-management support, which was found to be only weakly implemented in Slovenia. The aim of the study is to develop an evidence-based model of peer support for people with T2D and AH at the primary healthcare level in Slovenia, which could represent a potential solution for upgrading integrated care for these patients.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Methods</h3>
<p>A prospective interventional, mixed-methods pilot study will begin by recruiting approximately 40 eligible people with T2D and AH through purposive sampling. The participants will receive structured training, led by a specialist nurse, to become trained peer supporters. Each will voluntarily share their knowledge and experience at monthly group meetings with up to 10 people with T2D and AH over a three-month period in the local community. Data will be collected through interviews and focus groups and questionnaires about socio-demographic and clinical data, knowledge about T2D and AH, participants’ quality of life, level of empowerment and acceptability of the intervention.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Expected results</h3>
<p>The study will provide an evidence-based model for integrating peer support into the local community. It is expected that the intervention will prove feasible and acceptable with educational, psychosocial and behavioural benefits.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Peer support through empowerment of people with T2D and AH, family members and other informal caregivers in the local community could scale-up the integrated care continuum and contribute to sustainability of the healthcare system.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and arterial hypertension (AH) are among the greatest challenges facing health systems worldwide and require comprehensive patient-centred care. The key to successful management in chronic patients is self-management support, which was found to be only weakly implemented in Slovenia. The aim of the study is to develop an evidence-based model of peer support for people with T2D and AH at the primary healthcare level in Slovenia, which could represent a potential solution for upgrading integrated care for these patients.


Methods
A prospective interventional, mixed-methods pilot study will begin by recruiting approximately 40 eligible people with T2D and AH through purposive sampling. The participants will receive structured training, led by a specialist nurse, to become trained peer supporters. Each will voluntarily share their knowledge and experience at monthly group meetings with up to 10 people with T2D and AH over a three-month period in the local community. Data will be collected through interviews and focus groups and questionnaires about socio-demographic and clinical data, knowledge about T2D and AH, participants’ quality of life, level of empowerment and acceptability of the intervention.


Expected results
The study will provide an evidence-based model for integrating peer support into the local community. It is expected that the intervention will prove feasible and acceptable with educational, psychosocial and behavioural benefits.


Conclusion
Peer support through empowerment of people with T2D and AH, family members and other informal caregivers in the local community could scale-up the integrated care continuum and contribute to sustainability of the healthcare system.

Peer Support as Part of Scaling-Up Integrated Care in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Arterial Hypertension at the Primary Healthcare Level: A Study Protocol

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine

University of Maribor, Faculty of Medicine

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

LAIČNA PODPORA KOT NADGRADNJA CELOSTNE OSKRBE BOLNIKOV S SLADKORNO BOLEZNIJO TIPA 2 IN ARTERIJSKO HIPERTENZIJO NA PRIMARNI ZDRAVSTVENI RAVNI: PREDSTAVITEV PROTOKOLA RAZISKAVE

Introduction
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and arterial hypertension (AH) are among the greatest challenges facing health systems worldwide and require comprehensive...

CATEGORY	DATA VARIABLE	MEASUREMENT DESCRIPTION
Demographic data	Age	Years
	Gender	Male/female
	Education	Primary school, secondary or vocational school, higher vocational college, university education, master’s/doctoral degree
	Marital status	Married, divorced, widowed, single
	Employment status	Employed, unemployed, retired
Clinical history	Duration of T2D and/or AH	Years
Clinical history	Therapy for T2D and AH	Name of the drug and dose
Behavioural risk factors	Smoking	Yes/no
	Physical activity	Adequate/inadequate
	Eating habits	Healthy/unhealthy
	Alcohol use	Score on the AUDIT-C questionnaire
Quality of life of patients with T2D	Quantitative	Score on the ADS
Quality of life of patients with T2D	Qualitative	Analysis of interviews and focus groups
Empowerment of patients with T2D	Quantitative	Score on the DES
Empowerment of patients with T2D	Qualitative	Analysis of interviews and focus groups
Acceptability of the intervention	Quantitative	Score on questionnaire, based on TFA
Acceptability of the intervention	Qualitative	Analysis of interviews and focus groups
Knowledge about T2D	Quantitative	Score on the DKT
Knowledge about AH	Quantitative	Score on the HKT
Attitudes towards peer support intervention	Qualitative	Analysis of interviews and focus groups

Peer Support as Part of Scaling-Up Integrated Care in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Arterial Hypertension at the Primary Healthcare Level: A Study Protocol

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Mar 15, 2023

Page range: 93 - 100

Received: Oct 11, 2022

Accepted: Feb 14, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2023-0013

Keywords
Diabetes type 2, Arterial hypertension, Peer support, Self-management, Integrated primary, healthcare

© 2023 Tina VIRTIČ et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1.

Study data collection list.

Peer Support as Part of Scaling-Up Integrated Care in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Arterial Hypertension at the Primary Healthcare Level: A Study Protocol

Article Category: Original scientific article

Published Online: Mar 15, 2023

Page range: 93 - 100

Received: Oct 11, 2022

Accepted: Feb 14, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2023-0013

KeywordsDiabetes type 2, Arterial hypertension, Peer support, Self-management, Integrated primary, healthcare

© 2023 Tina VIRTIČ et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Figure 1.

Study data collection list.

Keywords
Diabetes type 2, Arterial hypertension, Peer support, Self-management, Integrated primary, healthcare