TP430 - The Power of Peers: Patient Mentoring in a Digital Age

touch point podcast

Long before hashtags and apps, patient mentoring thrived quietly in community rooms and support circles—offering emotional validation and practical guidance where clinical care left off. In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith trace the evolution of peer-to-peer support in healthcare, and how digital platforms have transformed it from local to limitless. They dive into:

• The History of Peer Mentoring – From 1970s cancer groups to HIV/AIDS buddy programs, peer support has long filled the gaps in clinical care through empathy, shared experience, and trust.
• The Digital Shift – How platforms like PatientsLikeMe, Reddit, Inspire, and even TikTok created scalable, searchable communities for patients—especially those navigating chronic or stigmatized conditions.
• Why Health Systems Lag Behind – Compliance fears, cultural resistance, and underinvestment have limited provider involvement, even as patients build robust peer networks on their own.
• Opportunities for Integration – Peer support could enhance onboarding, post-discharge care, chronic condition engagement, and even brand trust—if health systems partner, not compete.

Later in the episode, they’re joined by Paul Hoffman, founder of InTandem Health, who shares insights on launching digital peer mentoring platforms—from clinical impact and marketing value to the surprising role peer programs can play in fundraising and health system transformation. In 2025, the most powerful engagement may not be provider-to-patient—but patient-to-patient.

Mentions from the Show:

• “Peer support/peer provided services: Underlying processes, benefits, and critical ingredients.” Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal.
• Effectiveness of Peer Support on Quality of Life and Anxiety in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Impact of the 2nd Story Peer Respite Program on Use of Inpatient and Emergency Services
• Peer-Supported Self-Management of Chronic Disease: A Toolkit
• “Social Uses of Personal Health Information Within PatientsLikeMe, an Online Patient Community: What Can Happen When Patients Have Access to One Another’s Data”
• Online social networking by patients with diabetes: a qualitative evaluation of communication with Facebook.
• Paul Hoffman on LinkedIn
• InTandemHealth
• Reed Smith on LinkedIn
• Chris Boyer on LinkedIn
• Chris Boyer website
• Chris Boyer on BlueSky
• Reed Smith on BlueSky

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