What is Patient Navigation?
“Patient Navigators are trained, culturally sensitive health care workers who provide support and guidance throughout the cancer care continuum” (What are patient navigators? 2009). The healthcare system, which includes hospitals, clinics and insurance claims, can be hard to navigate for many patients. This is where patient navigators come in and help direct patients so that their experience in the hospital is made easier. According to the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, the activities conducted by patient navigators include:
• Coordinating appointments with providers to ensure timely delivery of diagnostic and treatment services.
• Maintaining communication with patients, survivors, families, and the health care providers to monitor patient satisfaction with the cancer care experience.
• Ensuring that appropriate medical records are available at scheduled appointments.
• Arranging language translation or interpretation services.
• Facilitating financial support and helping with paperwork.
• Arranging transportation and/or child/elder care.
• Facilitating linkages to follow-up services.
Patient navigation is an excellent program that expanded since its establishment. However, it is a program that is only offered to cancer patients. In this paper, I will discuss the implementation of the patient navigation program at the three major hospitals in Albuquerque, which include University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH), Presbyterian and Lovelace Women’s Hospital and then discuss the future of patient navigation, which may mean expansion of services to patients who are affected with other chronic diseases.
History of Patient Navigation Program
Dr. Harold P Freeman, MD, started patient navigation...
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...t ombudsmen and navigators. State and Federal health care exchanges that be launched in 2014 include provisions for navigators to help consumers evaluate, choose and enroll in health insurance policies.” (Russell, 2012)
References:
1. Navigating Difficult Waters: The History of the Patient Navigators. (2009, April). Retrieved April 17, 2014, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/features/navigating-difficultwaters-the-history-of-the-patient-navigators
2. Freeman, H. P., Rodriguez, R. L. (2011). History and principles of patient navigation. Cancer, 3537-3540.
3. Russell, E. S. (2012). Becoming a Patient Navigator. Retrieved on April 17, 2017 from http://patientnavigator.com/blog/2012/08/27/becoming-a-patient-navigator-august-2012/.
4. What Are Patient Navigators? (2009, July 22). CRCHD -. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://crchd.cancer.gov/pnp/what-are.html
5.
information using the internet. Today patients are encouraged to be active in their care. Patient
The study observed a positive correlation exists between doctor-patient relationships and improved health outcomes. Moreover, the study identified the major risk factors in poor management and prognosis of cancer, which were poor patient-doctor communication, lack of truth telling about fatal illnesses, and low social economic and educational levels. Subsequently, it revealed the major determinants of the quality of health care provided. The research stressed on the importance of taking into consideration the patient’s cultural backgrounds during healthcare provision process, and recommended that health care providers be sensitive towards patients.
successful communication (Sargeant et al, 2008; London Deanery, 2012). The collaboration and degree of communication within an MDT directly influences the level of care given to patients (Ru...
"Palliative Care | Cancer.Net." Doctor-approved Cancer Information from ASCO | Cancer.Net. Cancer.net, Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. .
In summary the benefits or employing or deploying a patient portal clearly out weigh the concerns of the delaying the project. When correctly implemented and properly deployed the organizational advantages can be:
Patients, survivors or caregivers can call or go on the ACS website to get information. Patients can also find support and treatment topics. For example, patients can receive help in understanding their diagnosis, find and pay for treatments. Lastly, there are tools that help cope with cancer treatments. Some examples of treatment tools are finding a treatment center, clinical trials, services and a guide to prescribed
Cancer. The word by itself can conjure images of severely ill and frail people attached to IV medications and chemotherapy drugs as they cling to life in a hospital bed. Other illustrations and pictures depict unrecognizable, misshaped organs affected by abnormal cells that grow out of control, spread, and invade other parts of the body. Cancer studies show that close to one-half of all men and one-third of all women in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer during their lives. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. As patients are newly diagnosed with their specific type of cancer, whether it be breast, lung, prostate, skin, or blood cancer, etc., each patient has to consider what will happen with their future health care plan and who will be involved in their long journey from treatment to recovery. Once diagnosed, cancer patients become the focal point and the center of all activity in terms of care but cancer not only physically invades the patient’s body and well-being, it goes beyond the patient and significantly affects the emotional stability and support from from their loved ones and caregivers. Based on the insidious nature of cancer and typically late detection of malignant diseases, family members (either spouses, children, parents, other relatives, and friends) often become the patient's main caregiver. These caregivers, also known as informal caregivers, provide the cancer patient with the majority of the support outside of the medical facility or hospital environment and become the primary person to provide various types of assistance. They provide the physical support with bathing and assisting in activities of daily living, they become emotional ...
The book begins with a narrative of cancer relating back to its history. Cancer in the book is discussed as a confusing, complex disease that was hard to decode by doctors for over a century. Mukherjee gives rich details about the way people assessed breast cancer in the nineteenth century discussing how radiation and chemotherapy were once used before modern times. Further, into the book, Mukherjee shares with personal experience working in the field of
Stair, J. (1998). Understanding the Challenges for Hospice: Fundamental for the Future. Oncology Issues [Online]. 13(2): pages 22-25. *http://ehostweb6.Epnet.com: (2000, October 13).
Kruse, B., (October 28, 2010) Patient scheduling benefits medical professionals, Retrieved January 25, 2011 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/patient-scheduling-benefits-medical-professionals.html
Over the last several years since The Institute of Medicine (IOM) landmark report: Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs there has been growing awareness of the value of psychosocial support. A number of other professional and standard setting organizations have recognized the importance of and mandated social and emotional care as a part of their quality recommendations and/or measures, including Patient-Center Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI): 2012 Rese...
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