Patient navigation programmes for symptomatic lung cancer patients: a scoping review

This scoping review investigates the landscape of patient navigation programs (PNP) specifically for lung cancer, addressing a gap in existing literature that has predominantly focused on other cancers or chronic diseases and screening.

Employing Arksey and O'Malley's framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we aimed to characterize the features of lung cancer PNP, understand their outcomes, and analyse the applied methodologies for research. The search was conducted in January 2025.

The search led to the inclusion of 16 studies, predominantly from high-income countries, revealing a variety of implementation strategies and navigator types. Findings indicate a significant emphasis on administrative outcomes, clinical and patient-reported outcomes with heterogeneity in its use. Emotional support, logistical assistance, and healthcare system navigation emerged as key themes in service delivery, however PNP focus is inconsistent. The analysis highlighted the need for standardized methodologies and outcome measures, as well as greater inclusivity in research populations. Importantly, the review identified a trend of excluding marginalized demographics, raising concerns about the generalizability and external validity of findings.

Our study underscores the necessity for future research to harmonize PNP methodologies, enhance transparency in collaborative efforts, and focus on addressing health inequalities to optimize the effectiveness of lung cancer navigation initiatives.