Overview

The iPeer2Peer (iP2P) program is an online peer support mentorship program that provides modelling and reinforcement by trained young adult peer mentors to adolescent mentees with the same condition. A waitlist hybrid implementation-effectiveness type 3 pilot randomized controlled trial design will be employed across four sites. We will recruit 40 mentees (12-17 years of age) and 12-15 mentors (18-25 years of age) who will undergo training in mentoring and the use of eHealth technology. Mentor-mentee pairings will connect over 15 weeks through video calls and text messaging to provide peer support and encourage disease self-management skills. Data will be collected using standardized instruments and interviews across three time points.

Eligibility

Mentee inclusion criteria:

1. heart failure patient,
2. at least 4 months post-diagnosis,
3. between the ages of 12 and 17 years,
4. able to speak and read English, and
5. willingness to commit to 5-10 texts and/or calls of 20-30 minutes each with a peer mentor over a period of 15 weeks.

Mentor inclusion criteria:

1. heart failure patient,
2. between the ages of 18 and 25 years,
3. able to speak and read English,
4. nominated by a member of their health care team as a good mentor based on maturity and emotional stability,
5. willingness to commit to peer mentor training (20 hours) via the PHIPA-compliant version of Zoom or Microsoft Teams and mentoring adolescent participants (once paired with mentee, 5-10 texts and/or calls of 20-30 minutes over a period of 15 weeks),
6. good communication skills (as assessed by a healthcare provider), and
7. previous experience in a professional environment (e.g., as a camp counsellor, part time job, volunteering) is an asset.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. significant cognitive impairments as assessed by a qualified healthcare provider,
2. a diagnosis of an active psychological disorder (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder) likely to influence assessment of health-related quality of life and/or interfere with their ability to manage their heart failure care regimen (a diagnosis of an active psychological disorder will be determined for mentees through medical chart review and self-reported by mentors), and
3. participating in other peer support or self-management interventions.