420 - #HERHEARTMATTERS: PEER SUPPORT: INCREASING AWARENESS AND CONNECTIONS FOR WOMEN LIVING WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN CANADA

Sunday, October 27, 2024

9:15 AM – 10:15 AM PT

Room: 111-112

Workshop Description: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of preventable death in women in Canada. CVD can affect women differently than men, and women historically have been under supported after a heart event. Women living with CVD need more than medical care. Peer support empowers women and provides a safe place to meet, bond and share experiences and can come in many forms (i.e., in-person, virtual, formal, informal, women only and mixed groups).

Our goal is to increase awareness and connections for women living with heart and vascular disease with peer support programs that meet their needs.

In this workshop, members of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance (CWHHA) (a national alliance of over 200 providers, researchers, and persons with lived experience whose aim is to enhance knowledge translation, education and awareness of critical issues in women’s cardiovascular health) will address perceived social support (i.e., peer support) and the context in which these interventions have been used for women with ischemic heart disease, stroke, and heart failure.

The workshop will also highlight what is currently underway within the CWHHA regarding peer support, with ample opportunity for participant engagement and interactivity. Participants working with women across the lifespan will benefit from the information gained in this workshop.

The workshop will be presented as outlined below:
- Women with lived experiences will provide valuable patient perspectives regarding peer support.
- Monica Parry will give an overview of the results of the peer support evidence map, highlighting the context in which peer support interventions have been used in women with ischemic heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
- Amy Johnston and Jacqueline Hay will identify gaps in knowledge related to gender, geography, race and ethnicity.
- Tracey Colella will engage the audience to discuss priority recommendations for practice, education, and research
- Kerri Mullen and Dan Yedu Quansah will provide insight into important Canadian initiatives and projects targeting women’s peer support and actionable takeaways.
-> Training for Peer support coordinators/leaders
-> Sharing of the Peer Support online directory
-> Funding to launch/ maintain community programming
-> Encouraging women to seek out care early

Interactive and Engagement Activities Description: This presentation will involve 8 panellists, each speaking for 4–5 minutes. The remaining 15 minutes will be reserved for in-depth Q + A and summary. If permitted by the event platform, live polling between presenters and audience would be used.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session participants will be able to:

Define and differentiate between peer, lay, professional and paraprofessional support.
Summarize the current science and knowledge gaps related to peer support for women with ischemic heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
Discuss priority recommendations for practice, education, and research.
Describe the initiatives and projects led by the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance (CWHHA) members targeting peer support for women in Canada; and
Identify one actionable practice, education or research takeaway for your institution/community or team related to peer support for women with ischemic heart disease, stroke or heart failure.

Disclosure(s):

Kerri-Anne Mullen, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Monica Parry, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Catherine J. Goodenough, Retired - R.N.: No financial relationships to disclose

Tracey JF Colella, PhD: No financial relationships to disclose

Jacqueline L. Hay: Reh-Fit Centre: Employment (Ongoing), Other Research Support (includes receipt of drugs, supplies, equipment or other in-kind support) (Ongoing)

Amy Johnston, MSc, MBT: No financial relationships to disclose

Nazli Parast, RN, CDE, BScN, MN, EdD: No financial relationships to disclose

Helen Robert, n/a: No financial relationships to disclose

Dan Quansah, DYQ: No financial relationships to disclose

Najah Adreak: No financial relationships to disclose

Shuangbo Liu, MD, FRCPC: No financial relationships to disclose

Chair(s)

Kerri-Anne Mullen, PhD

Scientist & Director, Canadian Women's Heart Health Centre
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
University of Ottawa
Monica Parry, PhD (she/her/hers)

Professor, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
University of Toronto
University of Toronto

Co-Chair(s)

Catherine J. Goodenough, Retired - R.N. (she/her/hers)

Person with Lived Living Experience
PWLLE

Presenter(s)

Tracey JF Colella, PhD (she/her/hers)

Clinician & Scientist
KITE/Toronto Rehab/University Health Network, University of Toronto
University of Toronto
Jacqueline L. Hay (she/her/hers)

University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
Amy Johnston, MSc, MBT (she/her/hers)

Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Calgary
University of Calgary
Nazli Parast, RN, CDE, BScN, MN, EdD

Adjunct Professor/Faculty
Women's Heart Health
Helen Robert, n/a (she/her/hers)

Person with lived Experience
N/A - PWLE
DQ

Dan Quansah, DYQ

Postdoctoral Fellow
Canadian Women Heart Health Centre
University of Ottawa Heart Institute

Planning Committee Member(s)

Najah Adreak

MD,MSc, Clinical Researcher
The University of British Columbia/ BC Children Hospital
The University of British Columbia
Shuangbo Liu, MD, FRCPC

Interventional Cardiologist, Assistant Professor
St. Boniface Hospital/University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba