Patient navigators improve care of cancer patients
Patient navigators improve care of cancer patients
Proponents say health enhanced as stress is reduced
Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver has launched a Patient Navigator Program, becoming the fifth site in the state to participate in a nationwide effort to extend the reach of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) initiative, designed to assist individual cancer patients in negotiating the health care system. There are currently 87 American Cancer Society Patient Navigator Program sites across the U.S.
The Patient Navigator Program, formally launched in 2005 in collaboration with community-based hospitals and cancer centers, links those affected by cancer to the patient navigators — who serve as personal guides for patients to help them deal with the psychological, emotional, and financial aspects of their cancer experience.
Training provided, staff prepared
Patient navigators receive national-level training through the ACS, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute Patient Navigation Research Program, as well as localized training and opportunities for ongoing education. "We cover case studies, talk about how we would proceed in the face of certain behaviors and questions, and so forth," explains Mandy Hodach, MS, patient navigator at Exempla Saint Joseph. "They also provide us with information on diagnosis and treatment in pamphlet form that we can share with patients."
Before she formally began her role on Feb. 28, there was an inservice for the staff to "tell folks who I am and what I do," she says, adding that this has been an ongoing process as she ran into different staff members.
"I introduce myself so they can put a name with a face," she explains. "I have also attended some meetings and gotten involved in aspects of oncology to let them know I'm here now."
There was also a formal launch for the program. "AstraZeneca [which funded her position] wanted to get the word out so they invited the oncology department, physicians, and folks in the community," she recalls. Representatives of AstraZeneca and the ACS spoke about the incidence of cancer and social issues people face when they are diagnosed.
AstraZeneca has pledged $10 million to the American Cancer Society to accelerate development of at least 50 new Patient Navigator Program sites over a five-year period in communities throughout the United States.
"People become overwhelmed; they get a lot of information but do not know what direction to take, or what services are available to them," Hodach explains.
For several weeks before the formal launch she met with patients and explained her role — and got the opportunity to provide some early help. "A woman and her daughter were sitting in the waiting room and the daughter needed rides to her treatment; well, that's one of the things we can provide," says Hodach, explaining that ACS volunteers drive patients who need rides.
"We can also help people set up appointments with community resources — financial aid, support groups, and so on," she continues. "For example, there is an ACS program 'Look good, feel better,' that helps women do their hair and makeup." Some navigator programs, she adds, have community resource centers with large collections of wigs, turbans, and head covers.
"Primarily I am there for support and information — to give patients the sense that there's somebody out here who can help them," Hodach says. "The biggest benefit, I find, is that people feel overwhelmed and do not know what's available to them; they may feel they can't pay for chemo or radiation, and do not know money is available. Or, they do not have access to a computer and can't get the information they need. I kind of offer a hand to hold."
If the patient is unable to work, she adds, the navigator will assist them in finding monies that are available in the community to help them pay their rent or their mortgage.
Assessing needs
Upon first meeting a patient, the navigator performs a formal needs assessment, notes Alison Jones, RN, ND, cancer survivorship program manager at the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Aurora, which has had a patient navigator for about a year.
"Our navigator meets with all patients who are newly diagnosed and lets them know about the services we have here, and she also conducts a 'distress thermometer' assessment," she explains. "Based on the assessment, which shows how distressed the patient is on a scale from 0-10, she can figure out if the stressors are things she can help with or if she needs to refer the patient on to social work, nutrition, psychology, rehabilitation, or community resources."
Jones is convinced the program has contributed to improved quality of care. "It absolutely helps with the patient's ability to deal with disease; it helps them focus on their treatment and on getting better," she says. "If we can reduce their stress in any way, it definitely helps."
Jones says the program has been "a wonderful addition" to her own. "We have just been able to touch so many more people's cancer journey through our navigator," she says, adding that it is "absolutely invaluable for hospitals with cancer patients."
[For more information, contact:
Mandy Hodach, MS, Patient Navigator, Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital, Denver, CO. Phone: (303) 837-7175.
Alison Jones, RN, ND, Cancer Survivorship Program Manager, University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO. Phone: (720) 848-0395.]
Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver has launched a Patient Navigator Program, becoming the fifth site in the state to participate in a nationwide effort to extend the reach of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) initiative, designed to assist individual cancer patients in negotiating the health care system.Subscribe Now for Access
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