Patient Navigators are reducing cancer disparities: Evidence from Chicago

Background: National Cancer Institute (NCI) has addressed cancer health disparities by developing a Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP). The NCI-funded Chicago Cancer Navigation Project (CCNP) uses patient navigators to help underserved women to obtain the services they need in an effort to reduce disparities among racial/ethnic minorities. Methods: CCNP is a controlled design which tests the efficacy of using patient navigators for women with abnormal screening tests or new diagnoses of breast and cervical cancer. Participants are recruited from federally qualified health centers and university medical center affiliated clinics. Patient navigators assist women in overcoming barriers to the timely receipt of healthcare services. We examine the factors that could impede timely follow-up care. Results: A total of 935 participants were enrolled in the study, with 399 participants in the experimental and 536 in the control groups, with no significant statistical differences in demographic characteristics. In the experimental group, 66 % of participants reported household income <$9,000, 37% reported education of some high school or less, and 42% had literacy levels at or below 8th grade. The most frequent barriers were system problems with scheduling care (30%), insurance status (18%), and fear (6%). Patient navigators helped 80% of experimental group participants receive a definitive non-cancer diagnosis and 13% a cancer diagnosis. Only 4% of experimental group participants did not follow up on abnormal screening tests compared with 28% in the control group. Conclusion: Evidence suggests that patient navigation offers a promising approach to reducing cancer health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities.