Always connected; in a hybrid peer environment

Peer support contact has almost "stagnated" for all patient organizations in the past two years. Our own research - in a panel of approximately 1000 patients - shows that loneliness has increased enormously among breast cancer patients and that peer support contact for breast cancer is desired by 80% of the supporters. By creating new forms of informal care (hybrid), we continue to connect peers in a sustainable manner. This is relevant for breast cancer, because of the long and intensive treatment and aftercare process of at least 1 year and with major late consequences. In this project, we create new forms of hybrid peer support contact that match personal preferences and that can be used by many patient organizations. This concerns 17,000 patients with breast cancer who can participate in peer support contact as easily as possible (again), take more control of their own lives, which gives "living with a condition" in the post-COVID era a necessary positive boost.