Communicating Peer Support

How Can I Communicate Peer Support To Get Others On Board?

Communicating peer support to others can be a challenging task. As with promoting any idea, it is important to define your audience, define your message, establish community partnerships, and use existing resources. These concepts may help guide your promotion efforts so that others can get on board with the idea of using peer support in diabetes self-management.

If you are a peer supporter, program manager, health care provider, or organizational leader, you may want to use the Diffusion of Innovations Theory to inform and guide peer support promotion efforts. 

A “diffusion” is defined as “the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of a social system.” (Rogers 1995)  Communication channels in this theory include mass media channels and interpersonal channels.  Mass media channels help create knowledge about an innovation, and interpersonal channels help form and change attitudes toward an innovation.  Peer-to-peer relationships are essential to getting others on board with an emerging idea like peer support. 

Here are some resources for using Mass Media Communication Channels:

• General media advocacy tools  found at The University of Kansas Community Tool Box

Here are some resources for using Interpersonal Communication Channels:

• The National Diabetes Education Program suggests eight Steps to Develop Partnerships with other organizations, agencies and businesses in the community.
• A handout on workplace peer support offers Steps the Employer Can Take to Promote Peer Support and suggests ways to promote peer support at the workplace.
• Building the Business Case for Self-Management is a resource from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Diabetes Initiative for program managers looking to present a financial and nonfinancial business case.
• Since community partnerships are essential for promoting, establishing, and sustaining peer support programs, Tools for Building Clinic-Community Partnerships are helpful resources from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Diabetes Initiative organized around a framework for supporting chronic disease control and prevention.  

Please visit the Discussion Board to talk with others about ideas for promoting peer support.