Referrals to Peer Support for Families in Pediatric Subspecialty Practices: A Qualitative Study
Peer support (PS) is social, emotional, and informational support provided by families of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) to other families with similarly affected children. Families of CSHCN often reference PS as helping to ease their stress and anxiety and improve their understanding of their child’s diagnosis and treatment.
A 2022 survey of California pediatric subspecialists examined opinions on and referral practices for PS. Building off this survey, Mathematica conducted interviews of staff at pediatric subspecialty practices across California to understand how referrals for PS occur, and identified factors that may facilitate or impede the referral process.
Interviewees communicated that the PS referral process was easily facilitated when care teams collaborated well and when a plethora of information about PS was shared with families. Routine integration of referrals into care and standardization of matching peer mentors could further improve processes. There is a need for more peer mentors and PS resources, such as multilingual services, age-specific support groups, and diagnosis-specific support groups. Referrals should not have a one-size-fits-all approach; providers and staff should tailor the right referrals for each family, and the timing of referrals should help the family, not burden them.
