Peers for Progress edited update

The Peers for Progress was formally introduced to the world at the WHO consultative conferene held in Geneva, Switzerland on November 5-7 with an overview of the evidence as it exists n the world today. The nearly 50 invited guests participated in three very interactive days discussing the knowledge as it exists from various peer support programs around the world.
We are very grateful to Dr. SEge Resnikoff adn Dr Gojka Roglic for their support as WHO hosts for this significant, event. A thank you as well goes to the co chairs ( Linda Siminerio, Marty Funnell), the speakers ( Leoski, Lorig, Simmons, Less, Soegondo, Baksi) and the discussion group chairs ( Ed Fisher, David Marrero, Marty Funnell, Frank Snoek/ Simmons). They have a good handle on what is effecting change in their communities.
The six regions of the WHO world were represented: the attendees represente a corss section of health professionals, organizations and individuals with diabetes. This led to some high level and emotional discussions trying to determine the "right" next steps for the peer supporters in trying to answer the questions: Who can be a peer supporter? Who needs the support? What can peers do and how will they be trained and monitored? How will the peers sustain their viability in the community in which they work?
There were several important consensus conclusions at teh end of the meeting. It was concluded that peer supporters should have diabetes or a close relationship to someone with diabetes. They need to be recognized in some way for what they do. The community should define the role of teh peers. The role of the peer supporter could evolve in the health service system or community based system of care. There needs to be more evidence provided to further clarigy the value of the peer in the health care system and community which may mean more clinical study adn / or demonstration projects. The programs need to be global as the exploding demand for resources are needed in teh low resource communitities.
The central hypothesis of the Peers for Progress (PfP or P4P) program is that "sustainable indiviual behavioral changes are nedessary to improve long-term outcomes that will occur through peer to peer interactions mentoring and role modeling. PfP will devleop international programs to identify and train lay volunteers with diabetes to become "Peer Supporters". A Per Supporter will have the cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal skills to assist another person with diabetes in adating to the consideralbe emotional, social and daily self-care demands of diabetes. It is belived that one percent of teh people with diabetes have teh capacity and desire to become Peer Supporters. LKE