Cancer Patient Navigators Can Improve Patient Outcomes And Reduce Health Care Costs

Application features for cancer patients, including browsers and related digital tools, should be funded by the health system; A new global study from Flinders University suggests that such apps could improve treatment outcomes by increasing detection rates and reducing waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

In 2020, more than 19 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 10 million people died from the disease.

This staggering number highlights the importance of evidence-based recommendations for screening and surveillance, ongoing evaluation and treatment, symptom management, coordination between specialists and primary care providers, and cost-effective aftercare.

Cancer navigators are often trained nurses, social workers, or health advocates who provide personal care and support by working with them to understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and relevant medical information.

A new global study published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians compared the experiences and outcomes of thousands of surfer-supported cancer patients with cancer-free patients in Australia, the US, the UK, the European Union, Asia and other regions. Canada.

Combining international data, the results show that patient navigation is strongly associated with higher and more successful screening rates, prior medical diagnoses, and cancer outcomes worldwide.

The results also highlight the benefits of efficient navigation in reducing health care costs in the United States.

“Navigating the healthcare system as a cancer patient can be an overwhelming experience, especially for those who face the many barriers to healthcare. health care providers and lack of social support,” said study lead author Prof. Raymond Chan, director of the Future Care Institute and dean of research (medicine and health sciences) at Flinders University.

“It is clear that indigenous peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse populations, rural and remote areas have worse cancer treatment outcomes and more severe consequences, and this needs to change.”

“This challenge can begin at diagnosis and continue through treatment, follow-up, survival, end-of-life care and palliative care. But even before a cancer diagnosis is made, navigation includes the support needed for cancer detection and early diagnosis. recent research shows that cancer surfers represent a global medical force.” reviewed valuable data supporting your contribution.

Advocate for head and neck cancer survivors Julie McCrossin says supporting a patient navigator in making an appointment and sticking to an appointment can be the difference between life and death.

“I remember my weeks of intensive cancer treatment and follow-up as a time of multiple blood tests, scans, radiation and chemotherapy. Every week I had meetings with different doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.”

“Patient Navigators can help vulnerable cancer patients by coordinating care, arranging transportation, providing information, crossing cultural and language barriers, and providing emotional support to help people complete their treatment.

“I am particularly encouraged by the role that patient navigators can play in public spaces and events to raise awareness of cancer screening and symptoms, step-by-step diagnosis followed by support for rapid treatment.”

Professor Chan says the results of the study show that effective navigation is closely related to whether patients successfully overcome socioeconomic barriers, problems accessing healthcare, and screening and treatment outcomes for local populations around the world.

"Our study shows that patient navigation clearly improves participation in breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer screening and reduces the time from detection to diagnosis and from diagnosis to treatment."

“Evidence also shows that patient navigation improves quality of life and patient satisfaction in terms of survival, and may reduce readmission during active treatment and survivor care,” says Professor Raymond Chen.

"These important findings provide evidence to support the cost-effectiveness and use of navigators in healthcare systems around the world in terms of improved outcomes and reduced healthcare system costs."

“Along with human navigators, there are additional opportunities for introducing artificial intelligence. Efficient navigation is critical to providing appropriate services that support Indigenous peoples in Australia and Canada who are less likely to be tested and need to be diagnosed at a later stage. .

Navigators can manage the often complex tasks of family members and caregivers, such as appointments and transportation, and help patients connect to the resources and support they need to understand and manage their care. In Australia, they may work in hospitals, community clinics and other health care settings.

“Developed countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada may already have a professional workforce supporting cancer patients through treatment, survival and palliative care or end of life,” says Prof. Chang.

“These professional groups could be nurse oncologists, care coordinators, oncology social workers and general practitioners. While their day-to-day role may include a range of patient navigation tasks, their role is not related to supporting navigation.”

The study includes recommendations for policy makers and healthcare professionals:

• Health policy makers and leaders can make links between human service delivery, finance, leadership and management, technology and information.
• Building sustainable finance models
• The education and training of navigation personnel requires the development of structures to improve the consistency and quality of patient navigation.
• Health care providers can design navigation to prioritize areas where results are displayed.
• Include emotional support as a key feature of person-centered navigation programs, promote recovery, support caregivers, and facilitate coping.
• Patient counseling is essential in underserved populations who may benefit from culturally appropriate and appropriate education and care.
• Indigenous peoples need navigational support delivered in a culturally safe, sensitive and competent manner.
• Investigators should communicate best standards for cancer management and clearly define workload and training requirements for staff.
• The collection of standardized data consistent with health improvement goals can be helpful in supporting program sustainability and enabling comparisons at all levels (local, national and international).
• The development and evaluation of technological solutions for patient navigation, including the use of artificial intelligence systems, can improve the efficiency and long-term sustainability of patient navigation.

Further information: Raymond J. Chan et al. Patient Navigation in the Cancer Treatment Continuum: A Review of Systematic Reviews and New Literature, CA: Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2023). DOI: 10.3322/caac.21788

Citation : Cancer Navigators can improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs (June 27, 2023).

This document is protected by copyright. No part may be reproduced without written permission, except in any bona fide transaction for the purpose of personal study or research. Content is provided for informational purposes only.

Patient Navigation: Software to Improve Patient Experience and Outcomes