Table 1 Patient navigator interventions with a focus on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer
From: The role of patient navigators in ambulatory care: overview of systematic reviews
Intervention | Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Details of the intervention | Profession(s) | Population | Countries | Patient-related outcomes | Health-system related outcomes | Source |
Patient navigation included facilitating communication with providers, outreach, assistance with appointments and scheduling, education, follow-up, counselling | Intervention: Patient, nurse, professional navigator Comparison: Radiologists, physicians, breast surgeons | Cancer patients receiving care in ambulatory setting (incl. ethnic minority and minority women patients) | CA, KR, US | • Improved patient satisfaction in four out of four studies, statistically insignificant | • Care coordination improved, statistically insignificant • Shorter time to diagnosis, statistically insignificant | • [21] |
Introduction of patient navigator to overcome obstacles such as language barriers, coordination of appointments, lack of transportation and insurance or difficulties to understand the follow-up process | Intervention: Lay persons, nurses with oncology experience, individual with master in social work Comparison: Not reported | Cancer patients from medically underserved populations, rural or urban area, uninsured persons, non-English speaking persons | US | • Improved adherence to follow-up | • Earlier treatment and treatment initiation • Significant improvements in diagnostic resolution | • [28] |
Patient navigator intervention to improve screening, diagnosis and treatment of cancer in ethnic minority patients (e.g. scheduling appointments, outreach, assistance with transportation, telephone support) | Intervention: Nurses, lay health educators, lay health workers, NPs, community health aides, physicians Comparison: Not reported | Ethnic minority cancer patients | US | • Improved adherence to screening | • Increased screening rates • Improved completion of screening | • [16] |
Patient navigation in breast cancer care involving non-health professionals (e.g. follow-up to screening and clinical breast abnormalities, education, counselling, referral, translation and scheduling) | Intervention: Breast cancer survivors, lay community health workers, nurse navigator in cooperation with lay navigator and social worker, lay workers Comparison: Professions not defined | Breast cancer patients (66% of sample were non-white women) | CA, US | • Improved adherence to breast screening and diagnostic follow-up (e.g. after abnormal radiographic screening, attending genetic counselling) | • Reduced waiting time for biopsy/diagnostic intervals • Decreased time to appointment with genetic counsellor | • [11] |
Patient navigation interventions (in person or via phone) focussing on diagnosis and treatment of various types of cancer (e.g. barrier assessment, appointment scheduling, reminders, emotional support, education, liaison with providers) | Intervention: Lay persons, peers, professional workers Comparison: Not reported | Patients with abnormal cancer screening results including mostly vulnerable patients | US, AU | • Increased diagnostic resolution • Improved adherence to follow-up appointments | • Improved time to diagnosis | • [12] |