Abstract FO02-03: Breast cancer control in federally qualified health centers.

Abstract

Abstract Patient Navigation is a patient-centric health care service delivery intervention, with the goal of eliminating barriers, which may occur across the health care continuum, from screening, to timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and through survivorship. Pioneered in Harlem, NY, patient navigation is being widely replicated nationally and is receiving considerable support for demonstration projects and research to test its effectiveness. Patient navigation has evolved as a strategy to reduce cancer health disparities by eliminating barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The largest and longest effort to test the efficacy of PN is the $25 million, five-year Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) undertaken by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Chicago patient navigation program, for example, was funded through the NCI PNRP to increase the proportion of patients reaching diagnostic resolution and reduce the time from abnormal screening test to definitive diagnostic resolution among low income underserved women with abnormal breast (n=352) or cervical (n=545) screening results. We found that compared to control subjects who received usual care, a higher percentage of navigated subjects reached a diagnostic resolution by 60 days (83.0% vs. 52.7%) for breast and by 365 days (98.7% vs. 81.0%) for cervical cancer. But, the effects of patient navigation are defined and measured in different ways across programs. In order to make meaningful comparisons across diverse programs, outcome measures must be concordant. Therefore, in March 2010, the National Patient Navigation Leadership Summit comprised of cancer clinicians, researchers, practicing public health and measurement experts, funders, and patient navigators, met to develop a national consensus on common outcomes to solidify the scientific evidence and efficacy of patient navigation using a principles from community-based participatory research. The goal of the Summit was to develop and propose core metrics to measure outcomes of navigation on individuals as well as populations across the continuum. The process used to engage all key stakeholders and current national efforts will be discussed along with the outcomes of this approach. Funding: The Chicago Patient Navigation grant was supported by the National Institute of Health grant 1 U01 CA116875-01. The leadership conference and Cancer supplement were cosponsored by Pfizer Oncology, Livestrong (Lance Armstrong Foundation), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, the American Cancer Society, and AstraZeneca. Citation Format: Elizabeth A. Calhoun. Breast cancer control in federally qualified health centers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr FO02-03.