Consensus Support for the Role of Patient Navigation in the Nation’s Healthcare System

Abstract

The current momentum in health care is to improve quality and access to care by empowering patients, regardless of socioeconomic level, education, race, or diagnosed disease, to take a leading role in their health care. Patient Navigation was initially developed to improve health outcomes of medically underserved populations by eliminating barriers to accessing and using the complex US health system. The field has evolved and Patient Navigation is now utilized along the entire cancer care continuum and in other chronic diseases in an effort to coordinate care for vulnerable patients. Numerous organizations have invested significant resources to fund Patient Navigation research and service delivery programs providing evidence that supports Patient Navigation improves health outcomes. The presence of Patient Navigation, however, is fragmented in the health system and is consistently misunderstood. The aim of this chapter is to outline recommendations for healthcare policy initiatives aimed at establishing Patient Navigators as a valuable professional in the healthcare delivery system team. While they serve on a multidisciplinary team, this literature distinguishes the roles of Patient Navigation from other health fields, such as community health workers (CHWs), and highlights the need for a definitive job description. The consensus also calls for development and maintenance of an accepted standardized training program with curriculum targeting core proficiencies and an evaluation process, leading to national accreditation and certification. The goal for Patient Navigation is to be recognition as a coverable service for both private and public payers through bundled payments and other payment mechanisms. There has been a sharp increase in the number of Patient Navigation programs, which has increased the number of patients who receive their services. Therefore, it is essential to continue the growth of Patient Navigation so it becomes a permanent part of the fabric of the healthcare delivery system.