PEP – Patient Empowerment Programs

Nearly half of adults live with at least one of the top ten chronic conditions—such as hypertension, osteoarthritis, or diabetes—and two in five people can expect a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. These conditions are among the leading causes of morbidity worldwide, significantly reducing quality of life and increasing the risk of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety.

While medical treatments continue to advance, the healthcare system is increasingly strained, and a critical gap remains in patient support during and after care—particularly in education, behaviour change, and long-term self-management. Many people report unmet needs and lack access to health-promoting information in areas such as nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, intimacy, and opportunities for social connection.

Our solution: the Personal / Patient Empowerment Program (PEP), an evidence-based intervention and platform that empowers individuals living with cancer or chronic disease through a structured, mind-body lifestyle program. This holistic approach targets key pillars of survivorship care while fostering a supportive community to build self-efficacy and promote long-term well-being.

This comprehensive, home-based, six-month daily health-promotion program is scalable, accessible, and easy for healthcare providers to recommend. As survivorship and chronic disease rates rise, so does the demand for tools that extend care beyond the medical system.

Faculty Supervisor:

Maria Pacurar

Student:

Partner:

Spirit PEP Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: