Lessons learned from the "Native Navigators and Cancer Continuum" public health intervention

Native Navigators and the Cancer Continuum (NNACC) is a community based participatory research project based on partnerships among three American Indian (AI) communities in: (1) Colorado (2) South Dakota; and (3) Michigan. The goal is for the Partners to collaborate, refine, expand and adapt various navigator/community education programs to address the Native American communities' and patients' needs throughout the continuum of cancer care. Each NNACC setting creates partnerships with two local AI organizations. These local organizations coordinate Family Fun Events (FFE), series of 24-hours of community education workshops per year as well as track the use of audience response system keypads for their respective participants. The Navigators serve as teaching faculty to implement and evaluate the AI community workshops. Through such exposure within the community, the Navigators become more visibility and subsequently more accessible for AI community members to help them schedule early detection appointments, follow-through for all abnormal screening tests, support for those diagnosed with cancer and for their family members and loved ones. By the end of year 02 (the initial intervention year), all three partners implemented baseline FFE and at least two series of AI community workshops that cover the full continuum of cancer in all three settings. Participants include over 350 unduplicated AI community members. The Navigators documented data showing an increase from pre- to post-workshop knowledge evaluation that averaged >25% for all three settings. Delayed evaluation will be collected 3 months following the completion of the education series through a follow-up FFE.