Abstract
Improving access to and quality of care for blood cancer patients: Two navigation programs from a patient advocacy organization
APHA's 2020 VIRTUAL Annual Meeting and Expo (Oct. 24 - 28)
Methods. The IRC evaluation consisted of an online survey of patients and caregivers who interacted with the IRC via telephone in spring 2018 (n=515) and a follow-up online survey (n=252). The CTSC evaluation consisted of an online survey of patients and caregivers who interacted with a CTSC Nurse Navigator between May 2018 and April 2019 (n=474). Both surveys were supported by in-depth, qualitative interviews with subsets of survey respondents.
Results. Both services eliminate barriers to care for blood cancer patients. After IRC interactions, respondents reported feeling more confident in managing care (82.9%) and more knowledgeable about their diagnosis (49.5%) and financial resources (42.4%). Those with repeated contact with the IRC were significantly more likely than those with one interaction to report a positive impact on communication with their doctor/healthcare provider (p=0.017 and p=0.033, respectively) and advocating for themselves or their loved one (p=0.037 and p=0.039, respectively). Respondents reported that CTSC Nurse Navigators were helpful in providing information about clinical trial options (90.2%) and clinical trials participation (92.3%). Qualitative themes yielded similar findings and indicated the importance of ongoing follow-up.
Conclusions. The IRC and CTSC are effective approaches for empowering and reducing barriers to care for blood cancer patients. Future efforts should focus on expanding access to a broader population of blood cancer patients and caregivers. This model can be replicated to support patients with other diseases.
Chronic disease management and prevention Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice Diversity and culture Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs Public health or related nursing