TY - JOUR
T1 - Patient navigation and cancer-related care
T2 - Policy solutions to improve access to Pennsylvania's complex system of care
AU - Nirmal, Ahuja A.
AU - Rodríguez-Colón, Sol M.
AU - Costalas, Sara
AU - Lengerich, Eugene J.
N1 - Funding Information:
In Western Pennsylvania, PN pilot programs in three hospitals found a 43% reduction in non-emergent emergency department use among frequent users [ 45 ]. In addition, the hospitals also showed 60% reduction in 30 days readmission across target diagnosis-related groups resulting in reduced financial penalties for readmissions. Given the costs associated with acute care and penalties for excess 30-day readmissions under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, these results indicate that, engaging navigators may help reduce hospital costs [ 35 ]. Also, Accenture in collaboration with Highmark Foundation has developed lay PN pilot programs in three Western Pennsylvania hospitals, targeting priority areas and patient populations based on the health needs of the communities [ 45 ]. PN is also a part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and aims to provide individualized assistance to the patients, families, and caregivers throughout the health care experience [ 46 ]. The Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, also receives funding from National Breast Cancer Foundation for its PN program [ 47 ]. This program provides cancer education, screening and outreach services to the community, with a special focus on reaching underserved populations [ 47 ]. In another project, Pennsylvania’s Healthy Woman Program trained and paid for two navigators to help immigrant patients (n = 138) over a 4-month period [ 48 ]. Among them, 88 were screened by the Healthy Woman Program and 40 made appointments on dates even after the project ended.
Funding Information:
The project described was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences , National Institutes of Health , through Grant UL1 TR002014 . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - In Pennsylvania, cancer patients experience disparate cancer-related health outcomes. Patient navigation, a patient-centered evidence-based approach effectively addresses barriers to care, and reduces cancer-related disparities and burden. We performed a literature search with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify literature emanating from the United States which potentially described the development, efficacy and cost effectiveness of patient navigation across the United States and in Pennsylvania. The results from this review signified that, over last two decades there has been a rapid growth in the field of patient navigation programs across the United States which includes the state of Pennsylvania. However, despite the presence of these programs and navigators, Pennsylvania does not have state-wide guidelines which could define patient navigation and recognizes a patient navigators as well as roles and responsibilities. This paper calls for a policy-based approach to recognize and standardize patient navigation in Pennsylvania. We recommend the Pennsylvania Department of Health propose legislation which would help define patient navigation and patient navigator. We also urge various organizations, policy makers, state and private insurers, and funding agencies in Pennsylvania to recognize, acquire, and cultivate a culture of patient-centeredness through patient navigation.
AB - In Pennsylvania, cancer patients experience disparate cancer-related health outcomes. Patient navigation, a patient-centered evidence-based approach effectively addresses barriers to care, and reduces cancer-related disparities and burden. We performed a literature search with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify literature emanating from the United States which potentially described the development, efficacy and cost effectiveness of patient navigation across the United States and in Pennsylvania. The results from this review signified that, over last two decades there has been a rapid growth in the field of patient navigation programs across the United States which includes the state of Pennsylvania. However, despite the presence of these programs and navigators, Pennsylvania does not have state-wide guidelines which could define patient navigation and recognizes a patient navigators as well as roles and responsibilities. This paper calls for a policy-based approach to recognize and standardize patient navigation in Pennsylvania. We recommend the Pennsylvania Department of Health propose legislation which would help define patient navigation and patient navigator. We also urge various organizations, policy makers, state and private insurers, and funding agencies in Pennsylvania to recognize, acquire, and cultivate a culture of patient-centeredness through patient navigation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086459137&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85086459137&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jcpo.2020.100231
DO - 10.1016/j.jcpo.2020.100231
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85086459137
SN - 2213-5383
VL - 25
JO - Journal of Cancer Policy
JF - Journal of Cancer Policy
M1 - 100231
ER -
