Provider perceptions’ of a patient navigator for adolescents and young adults with cancer

Abstract

Purpose Healthcare providers (HCPs) and other staff at a comprehensive Cancer Center were interviewed on how to best implement a patient navigator position when working with adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer. Research objectives included assessing staff perceptions of (a) barriers to optimal care for AYA, (b) roles and responsibilities for a patient navigator, and (c) training needed for future patient navigators. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 staff members providing care to AYA. Verbatim transcripts were hand-coded using inductive content analysis. Results Roles and responsibilities of a patient navigator were described as needing to coordinate services, be knowledgeable of resources inside and outside the Cancer Center, provide emotional support, advocate for AYA, assist with financial and insurance issues, and serving as the first point of contact. Conclusions Staff serving AYA reported the desired roles and training they wished a patient navigator to possess. This study contributes to the literature by conducting stakeholder assessment of the goals and roles of an AYA patient navigator (PN). PN positions should be adapted to the workflow and ethos of the institution.

Shared barriers and facilitators to enrollment of adolescents and young adults on cancer clinical trials

“…Patient navigators and supportive care professionals are well-poised to identify and address needs, values and communication styles of AYA cancer patients and survivors can serve as a conduit for identifying eligible patients for CCTs and relieve some responsibility from the primary medical team. One paramount role of the patient navigator is to serve as a first point of contact for the patient’s care team, with the ability to collaborate with other departments 30 . In this role, navigators can help bridge the knowledge gap of available AYA CCTs across pediatric and medical oncology departments, as is being studied by the AYA Program in Utah 31 .…”

Fertility navigators in female oncofertility care in an academic medical center: a qualitative evaluation

“…13 (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) supportive, for example in providing information and reassurance during treatment, was patient, and clear in communication. Furthermore, they indicated that the contact with the FN was pleasant because they were personal and showed empathy.…”

“…Support is provided by patient navigators (PNs), a role usually performed by nurses, social workers, or health educators who are trained for this role [ 17 , 18 ]. PNs fulfill the role of patient advocates for cancer patients; they provide additional information about medical procedures, refer patients for FP counseling, help patients schedule appointments, coordinate communication among the medical team, and navigate and support patients through the process [ 14 – 16 , 18 , 19 ].…”