A national patient navigator training program.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Cancer Care Delivery
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Patient Navigation (PN) programs aim to reduce cancer health disparities by addressing barriers to care.
• Major organizations like NCI, ACS, and CMS support PN initiatives for medically underserved patients.
• A standardized national curriculum for training patient navigators was previously lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the efficacy of a standardized national training curriculum for patient navigators.
• To assess the impact of this training on patient navigator knowledge and skills.
• To identify factors associated with improved training outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A national training curriculum for patient navigators was developed by experts from leading cancer organizations.
• Training efficacy was evaluated using a pre- and posttest design.
• Data from 116 patient navigators across 85 cities were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Posttest scores significantly improved compared to pretest scores, indicating successful knowledge acquisition.
• Higher levels of education (high school or greater) and more work experience were associated with greater score improvements.
• The training program was deemed successful in its initial implementation.

Conclusions:

• The standardized national training program is effective in enhancing patient navigator knowledge.
• This initiative represents a significant step towards reducing cancer health disparities.
• Further research may explore the long-term impact of this training on patient outcomes.