Providers’ Views on a Community-Wide Patient Navigation Program

Abstract

The DuPage Patient Navigation Collaborative (DPNC) adapted and scaled the Patient Navigation Research Program’s intervention model to navigate uninsured suburban DuPage County women with an abnormal breast or cervical cancer screening result. Recent findings reveal the effectiveness of the DPNC in addressing patient risk factors for delayed follow-up, but gaps remain as patient measures may not adequately capture navigator impact. Using semistructured interviews with 19 DPNC providers (representing the county health department, clinics, advocacy organizations, and academic partners), this study explores the critical roles of the DPNC in strengthening community partnerships and enhancing clinical services. Findings from these provider interviews revealed that a wide range of resources existed within DuPage but were often underused. Providers indicated that the DPNC was instrumental in fostering community partnerships and that navigators enhanced the referral processes, communications, and service delivery among clinical teams. Providers also recommended expanding navigation to mental health, women’s health, and for a variety of chronic conditions. Considering that many in the United States have recently gained access to the health care system, clinical teams might benefit by incorporating navigators who serve a dual working purpose embedded in the community and clinics to enhance the service delivery for vulnerable populations.

Patient navigation across the spectrum of women’s health care in the United States

“…A qualitative study of providers’ views on a cancer care navigation program found it increased patient volume and facilitated use of existing community resources while reducing the burden on physicians, nurses, and case managers. 41…”

Patient Navigation Models for Lung Cancer

“…Our search for primary studies identified six [13][14][15][16][17][18] that described components of the Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) sufficiently to address Question 1. We highlight PNRPrelated studies because the PNRP represents the single largest study of patient navigation to date: 10 different patient navigation programs across the country focused on breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers from 2005 to 2010.…”

“…We highlight PNRPrelated studies because the PNRP represents the single largest study of patient navigation to date: 10 different patient navigation programs across the country focused on breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers from 2005 to 2010. 19 Three of our identified studies [13][14][15] focused on seven of the PNRP sites, two 16,17 focused on a scaled-up county-wide adaptation of the…”

“…19 Education of navigators ranged from high school diploma 13,15 to masters level social 15 work or public health. 15,17 About two-thirds of navigators had a college or graduate degree. 18 Both lay and health care professionals (e.g., social workers 13,14 ) delivered patient navigation.…”

Insights Into Roles for Health-Care Professionals in Meeting the Needs of Older Adults and Unpaid Caregivers During Health-Care Transitions

“…There is recent increased interest in the role of health system navigators who support chronically ill older adults through health-care transitions (Coleman et al, 2006;de la Riva et al, 2016;Manderson et al, 2012;Pedersen & Hack, 2010). Health system navigators are nurses and other health-care professionals who collaborate across sites of care and endeavor to ensure safe and effective transitions through fostering coordination and continuity of care, early identification, and response to health changes and services such as care planning and education (Brown, 2012;Clark, Parker, Battaglia, & Freund, 2014;Coleman et al, 2006;Freund et al, 2008;Jamieson, Grealish, Brown, & Draper, 2014;Manderson et al, 2012;Monza, Harris, & Shaw, 2015).…”