Exploring the experience of participating in a peer support intervention for individuals with chronic non-cancer pain: a qualitative systematic review protocol. [Protocol]

Chronic pain is a prevalent and costly issue. It is defined as pain that persists beyond 12 weeks or past normal healing times. It has been recognized as one of the most prominent causes of disability worldwide and affects up to half of the population in the UK. The cost of chronic pain is also substantial, not only for patients, but also the healthcare system and economy. With such an astounding impact, recent health policies have focused on empowering patients to improve skills with self-management. Improved condition management can be attained by ensuring adequate amounts of social support, particularly support that is condition-specific. Peer support interventions could play a pivotal role in the management of chronic pain as their purpose is to empower patients by equipping them with self-management skills which can aid in improving health outcomes. This is a protocol for a systematic review, the object of which is to synthesize what is known about the patient experience of participating in peer support interventions and identify gaps in the evidence base. This information will be used to make practice recommendations where relevant and to inform further research in the field. It aims to answer the following research questions: 1) What are the perceptions of individuals with chronic non-cancer pain regarding participation in peer support interventions? 2) What are patients' perceptions in terms of format, delivery, role and training of peer support volunteer and duration of intervention? 3) What are the patients' perceptions of the strengths and limitations of peer support interventions? 4) What do patients perceive to be the barriers and facilitators to implementation of peer support interventions