Many people with kidney disease struggle with isolation, making decisions about their care, and declines in their mental well-being. Peer support is a way of providing information and emotional support to patients and their loved ones by connecting them with others who have a shared experience of kidney disease. We summarize the features of peer support programs worldwide and the settings in which they have been studied. We searched the medical literature and found 56 unique peer support programs reported in 77 studies. Most studies were from the last 10 years, targeted people receiving hemodialysis, and focused on sharing information about kidney disease. Studies summarized in this review revealed notable gaps in peer support availability for transplant and home dialysis recipients. Many studies found improvements in people’s mental health, quality of life, and confidence in managing their health after initiation of peer support. These findings suggest there are unrealized opportunities to expand the reach and impact of peer support in the care of patients with kidney disease.

Elliott, Meghan J.; Harrison, Tyrone G.; Love, Shannan; Ronksley, Paul E.; Verdin, Nancy; Sparkes, Dwight; O’Connor, Caitrin; Manns, Kate; Jassemi, Sabrina; Hemmelgarn, Brenda R.; Donald, Maoliosa

American Journal of Kidney Disease

Published 2025

Research Project: Self-Management