Table 1.

Peer Support Interventions in RA/IA

Author	Title	Year	Disease	N=	Demographics	Design	Intervention	Follow-Up	Outcomes	Findings
Hadert and Rodham27	The invisible reality of arthritis: A qualitative analysis of an online message board	2008	RA/IA	87 messages posted by 60 users; 981 replies from 314 users	Not available	Qualitative	Retrospective analysis of an online message board for patients with arthritis	12 weeks	NA	Themes included the “invisible reality” of living with arthritis, having an opportunity for information exchange, the additional support provided by an online community, and online space as unique forum for emotional exchange. Participants discussed a broad range of issues including medications, side effects, and consequences of their disease.
Shigaki et al28	Social interactions in an online self-management program for rheumatoid arthritis	2008	RA	30	93% female, mean age 49 years old	Qualitative	Social interactions were evaluated among RA patients participating in online self-management program	10 weeks	Process variables describing social activity in the online environment. Qualitative analysis of board posts was also performed.	Participants utilized discussion board and e-mail features, and community level activity was described as “vibrant”. Chat feature was used less frequently. Participants perceived high levels of support and bonding, and a reported sense of feeling “uniquely understood by others with RA”.
Sandhu et al29	Peer-to-peer mentoring for individuals with early inflammatory arthritis: feasibility pilot	2013	RA/IA	18 (9 pairs of peer mentors/mentees)	Mentees 78% female, majority >50 years old, majority completed as least some college	Pilot	Peer support program (telephone or face-to-face) for patients with RA	6 months	Medication adherence, self-efficacy, change in health-related quality-of-life and anxiety, coping efficacy, CDAI, social support, self-management	Mentees showed improvements in self-management, coping, social support, but no significant effect on disease activity or medication adherence. Self-efficacy scores for mentors decreased at 3 months (intervention period) and 6 months (post-intervention follow-up) raising concern that being a peer mentor may be a demanding and potentially stressful experience.
McCarron30	An exploration of the perceived effects of a support group for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis	2015	RA	23	96% female, majority >50 years old, majority completed at least some college	Qualitative	Interviews with participants in a monthly peer-support group for patients with RA	6 months	NA	Support group improved participants’ perceived quality of life, including improvement in emotional health, increased levels of social support, decreased isolation, increase in disease knowledge and management strategies. Participants with longer-standing RA provided valuable mentorship to those more recently diagnosed disease.
Shadick et al31	A Development and Feasibility Study of a Peer Support Telephone Program in Rheumatoid Arthritis	2018	RA	54	Not available	Case-control	Comparing telephone peer support program to standard of care	6 months	Mean adjusted change differences at 6 months in fatigue, pain, self-efficacy, functional status, flare frequency, medication adherence	Non-significant trend toward improvement in functional status and how RA impacts one’s life. Participants reported many benefits from peer support: 62% felt less alone, 43% better understanding of their illness, 57% felt part of an RA community; also reported feeling calmer (43%), less sad (24%), more support from family and friends (24%) and maintained healthier lifestyle (24%).
des Bordes et al32	Interactions and Perceptions of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Participating in an Online Support Group	2020	RA	90	94% female, median age 54 years old, 83% white	Qualitative	Online support group for patients with RA	5 weeks	NA	Information sharing emerged as a primary theme in online discussions. Patients shared knowledge and experiences around symptoms, medications, coping mechanisms, and frustrations. Study suggests that online support groups may be viable option for providing peer support to RA patients.
Lopez-Olivo et al33	A randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of social networking on chronic disease management in rheumatoid arthritis	2022	RA	210	>90% female, mean age 52 years old, 85% white, majority completed at least some college	Randomized controlled trial	Comparing RA patients participating in peer-moderated social networking group who had access to website with educational materials with a control group (access to educational materials only)	3 months, 6 months	Primary outcome: RA knowledge, self-efficacy, empowerment. Secondary outcome: participation in desired health behaviors, satisfaction w/ peer support, health outcomes, multidimensional health locus of control, mood	Participation in peer-moderated Facebook group significantly improved perceptions of peer support, but this did not translate into significant improvements in primary outcomes (patient knowledge, self-efficacy) for the intervention arm versus control.
Kaya et al34	Impact of peer-led group education on the quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis	2016	AS	56	82% male, majority >40 years old	Randomized controlled trial	Patients randomized to peer-led education and booklet or booklet only	6 months	Levels of quality-of-life and depression measured at baseline, after intervention (fourth week), and at 6 months	Participating in peer-led education along with an educational booklet did not change quality-of-life and depression scores compared with an educational booklet alone.
Kaya et al35	Peer-led education or booklet for knowledge transfer about disease: A randomized-controlled trial with ankylosing spondylitis patients	2021	AS						Measures of patient knowledge measured at baseline, after intervention (fourth week) and at 6 months	Participating in peer-led education along with an educational booklet did not increase knowledge transfer about AS compared with an educational booklet alone.