Mentoring for Cardiovascular Health

Overseen By Edith Chen

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Northwestern University

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

500 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether a mentoring relationship can improve heart health for both mentors and mentees. The main focus is on determining if weekly one-on-one sessions about social skills, coping strategies, and healthy habits can lead to better cardiovascular health. Participants will either engage in these mentoring sessions or receive written materials on the same topics. Good candidates for this trial include undergraduate students willing to mentor and Chicago Public School students interested in being mentees. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could enhance heart health through mentorship.

Do I need to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this mentoring protocol is safe for cardiovascular health?

Research has shown that mentoring is generally safe and positively impacts health and well-being. For instance, studies have found that peer mentoring can boost self-confidence and improve both physical and mental health, particularly for individuals with heart-related issues. No reports indicate serious negative effects from participating in mentoring programs, suggesting that these programs are well-tolerated and safe for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the mentoring approach for cardiovascular health because it takes a unique angle by focusing on social relationships and lifestyle changes rather than just medication or surgery. Unlike standard options that might involve drugs to manage cholesterol or blood pressure, this method aims to improve heart health through improved coping behaviors and healthier lifestyle choices, which can have long-lasting benefits. This approach is particularly promising for young people, offering a proactive way to engage them in their own health and wellness through supportive, one-on-one interactions.

What evidence suggests that mentoring is effective for cardiovascular health?

This trial will compare mentoring with a group receiving written materials. Studies have shown that mentoring can lead to better health outcomes, especially for people with heart conditions. Research indicates that having a peer mentor can boost self-confidence and overall well-being in those with heart disease. One study found that online peer mentoring improved health outcomes for young people with long-term illnesses. These findings suggest that mentoring could positively impact heart health by promoting healthier lifestyles and better coping skills. ^{2 4 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for undergraduate students who can serve as mentors and Chicago Public School students eligible to be mentees. It aims to explore if mentor-mentee relationships positively affect cardiovascular health.

Inclusion Criteria

This program is only available for students who attend Chicago Public Schools and are seeking mentorship.

Only mentors who are not currently enrolled as undergraduate students are eligible.

Exclusion Criteria

I'm sorry, I cannot provide a summary without the criterion. Please provide me with the criterion so that I can assist you better.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants will come for a laboratory visit in which cardiovascular health measures will be taken

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants in the intervention group will engage in one-on-one mentoring sessions once a week after school for the school year

9 months

Weekly sessions (in-person)

Mid-point Assessment

Mid-point assessment of questionnaires

1 day

1 visit (in-person or virtual)

Post-intervention Assessment

Participants will come for a laboratory visit in which cardiovascular health measures will be taken

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in cardiovascular health measures approximately 1 year after baseline

1 year

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Comparison group - written materials
• Mentoring

Trial Overview The study tests the impact of interpersonal relationships on heart health by randomly assigning participants to either a mentoring role or providing them with written materials about cardiovascular wellness.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention (Mentor/Mentee) Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Youth in the intervention group will participate in one-on-one mentoring sessions (between mentors and mentees) once per week after school. Mentoring sessions will focus on social relationships, coping behaviors, and healthy lifestyles.

Group II: Comparison group - written materials Active Control 1 Intervention

Youth in the comparator group will receive written versions of all materials covered in the mentoring sessions.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Northwestern University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,674

Recruited

989,000+

University of Illinois at Chicago

Collaborator

Trials

653

Recruited

1,574,000+

DePaul University

Collaborator

Trials

9

Recruited

8,500+

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Collaborator

Trials

3,987

Recruited

47,860,000+

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Collaborator

Trials

2,896

Recruited

8,053,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A targeted curriculum for cardiology fellows that included peer feedback and guideline discussions led to a significant increase in knowledge test scores from 52.6% to 73.0%, indicating improved understanding of evidence-based care.

The curriculum also resulted in a 17.8% improvement in chart audit scores, particularly in adherence to Class I therapies, demonstrating its effectiveness in enhancing both documentation and patient care practices.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving Practice Guideline Adherence Through Peer Feedback: Impact of an Ambulatory Cardiology Curriculum. Richardson, KM., Singh, J., Muñoz, D., et al.[2018]

The peer mentoring strategy allowed nursing students from various educational levels to collaboratively deliver health care to at-risk populations in a community setting, filling a gap where nursing services were lacking.

Through reflective journals and evaluations, the project highlighted both strengths and weaknesses of the mentoring approach, demonstrating its effectiveness in meeting educational objectives while benefiting the community agency and its clients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Student peer mentoring in a community-based nursing clinical experience. Sims-Giddens, S., Helton, C., Hope, KL.[2022]

The peer-mentor intervention for older vulnerable myocardial infarction patients was found to be feasible and acceptable, with a low dropout rate and high attendance in cardiac rehabilitation, indicating its potential effectiveness.

Quality of life improved significantly across emotional, physical, and global measures after the 24-week intervention, suggesting that peer mentoring can enhance both attendance and overall well-being in this patient group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Peer-mentor support for older vulnerable myocardial infarction patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation: single-arm feasibility study. Pedersen, M., Bennich, B., Boateng, T., et al.[2022]

A formalized mentorship program was successfully implemented in a Canadian physical medicine and rehabilitation residency, which included innovative strategies like near-peer self-matching and needs assessments.

This program aims to enhance the mentor-mentee relationship and improve the overall experience for trainees, providing a model that other medical education programs can adopt.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development of a Formalized, Multifaceted Mentorship Program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Education. Liang, J., Kempenaar, A., Sequeira, N., et al.[2023]

The clinical peer mentoring (CPM) program involved 16 pairs of senior and sophomore BSN students working together in a dedicated education unit, which enhanced their patient care skills.

Both mentors and novices reported significant improvements in self-confidence, clinical judgment, and evidence-based practice, indicating that the CPM program effectively supported nursing education and professional development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinical peer mentoring: partnering BSN seniors and sophomores on a dedicated education unit. Harmer, BM., Huffman, J., Johnson, B.[2011]

The Heart Transplant Mentor Programme (HTMP) was positively received by mentored patients, with average ratings of 3.8 for information and 4.0 for support, indicating its effectiveness in enhancing patient care.

To improve satisfaction, the program should introduce mentors earlier and match them more closely with patients based on demographics and clinical experiences, as some patients reported dissatisfaction due to late contact and differing clinical courses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of a mentorship program for heart transplant patients. Wright, L., Pennington, JJ., Abbey, S., et al.[2019]

Patient-to-patient peer mentoring can significantly enhance outcomes for dialysis patients by improving goal setting, decision-making, and self-management skills, as highlighted in a review of various studies.

Successful peer mentor programs require a combination of face-to-face and telephone support, along with formal training for mentors and backing from healthcare professionals, including nephrologists and dialysis administrators.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient-to-patient peer mentor support in dialysis: Improving the patient experience. Bennett, PN., St Clair Russell, J., Atwal, J., et al.[2022]

Health mentors, who are individuals with chronic health conditions or disabilities, report significant benefits from mentoring health professional students, including personal growth, reflection, and increased self-efficacy.

The informal and non-clinical nature of the mentorship program, along with a sense of being valued, enhances the mentoring experience and contributes to the positive outcomes for health mentors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patients benefit from mentoring students in an interprofessional health mentors program: A contextual-developmental analysis. Kline, CC., Riganti, P., Moller-Hansen, A., et al.[2022]

Only 22% of the surveyed radiography programs in the southeastern United States had formal mentoring programs, indicating a lack of widespread mentoring practices in the field.

Despite the low prevalence of formal mentoring, most respondents believed that existing mentoring programs positively impacted student retention and were somewhat successful, highlighting the potential benefits of mentoring in radiologic sciences.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mentoring practices in radiologic science education. Kowtko, C.[2010]

The study identified 18 mentorship toolkits for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but only 3 were specifically designed for these contexts, highlighting a significant gap in tailored resources.

Most existing toolkits emphasize individual mentor-mentee relationships and communication skills, with a lack of focus on ethics, resource limitations, and institutional change, indicating a need for more comprehensive and adaptable mentoring strategies in LMICs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Global Health Mentoring Toolkits: A Scoping Review Relevant for Low- and Middle-Income Country Institutions. Hansoti, B., Kalbarczyk, A., Hosseinipour, MC., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/search/lGNrdXI2lEqgGxWJXNrARQ/project-details/11056728

RePORT RePORTER - National Institutes of Health (NIH) | Mentoring trainees from diverse backgrounds in community engaged research to promote cardiovascular health. Project Number5K24HL173681-02. Contact PI/Project ...

2. journals.lww.com journals.lww.com/jcnjournal/fulltext/2025/09000/the_effect_of_peer_mentor_support_for_older.12.aspx

The Effect of Peer-Mentor Support for Older Vulnerable... Peer mentoring may improve self-efficacy and benefit health and wellbeing among patients with cardiovascular disease. ... Outcomes in Adults With Heart Failure.

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03670368

Study Details | NCT03670368 | Interpersonal Relationships ... A type of clinical study in which participants are identified as belonging to study groups and are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes. Participants may ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772812925000466

Virtual Peer Mentoring for Adolescents With Congenital ... iPeer2Peer is an evidence-based virtual peer mentorship program that has improved outcomes for youth in several chronic illness populations.

5. professional.heart.org professional.heart.org/-/media/PHD-Files-2/Membership/mentoring_handbook_second_edition_ucm_323211.pdf

Mentoring Handbook, Second Edition - Professional Heart Daily The first edition of this handbook was the outcome of the workshop and focused on general and specific aspects of the mentor-mentee relationship ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12379791/

The Effect of Peer-Mentor Support for Older Vulnerable ... Peer mentoring may improve self-efficacy and benefit health and wellbeing among patients with cardiovascular disease. Other studies applying ...

7. ahajournals.org ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.122.009218

Mentorship and the Leaky Pipeline in Academic Cardiology Although the clinician-patient relationship remains prized, how that connection is made has evolved and varies with age, gender and culture.

8. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.16899?af=R

Peer‐Mentor Support for Older, Vulnerable Patients With ... Peer-mentoring is effective in improving physical and psychological outcomes in older patients (Dorgo et al. 2013; Goldman et al. 2013; Pfeiffer ...