How wonderful would a Health Navigator be?
Just imagine if we had a "navigator" to guide us from diagnosis.
https://www.findatopdoc.com/Women-s-Health/How-a-Health-Navigator-Can-Benefit-Breast-Cancer-Patients
How a Health Navigator Can Benefit Breast Cancer Patients
Getting diagnosed with breast cancer is a challenging moment in one’s life, and for the many individuals who visit their doctor a few times a year at most, a diagnosis can be overwhelmingly complicated as well. Patients can expect to take in a lot of information regarding the specific kind of breast cancer that they have, and the options available to them, all of which can take a few weeks of tests and appointments simply to get started in a treatment direction.
When is a health navigator necessary?
Some decisions are more time sensitive than others, and many people who feel strongly that it is important for them to understand all of the facts and all of their options from diagnosis to remission. No matter what the individual’s situation, and no matter how overwhelming the situation may or may not appear, advice and guidance from people familiar with breast cancer are some of the greatest tools available to patients seeking the best possible outcome.
Health navigators and breast cancer treatment
This is why many hospitals and medical centers are advertising the services of a health navigator. This person—sometimes referred to as a patient navigator or a nurse navigator—is a qualified and knowledgeable individual whose role is to ensure that you endure the least amount of hassle, and are offered the best path forward through cancer treatment. Like a GPS navigation system, health navigators alert you to what is coming up, how and when to take each turn, and can set your mind at ease in unfamiliar and often frightening territory.
Health navigators also play an important role on both sides of breast cancer treatment, allowing the patient to make the best possible decision for themselves while freeing up doctors and nurses to actively treat and spend less time consulting. They are people dedicated to being there when called upon, and their accessibility makes them invaluable in times of emergency. In the fight against breast cancer, they can be one of the greatest assets on your team, and they will be there with you every step of the way.
The role of the health navigator
Navigation programs are built around the patient, and can begin at various stages depending on the medical institution in question. Some programs begin immediately at screening in an attempt to move the patient from screening to a rapid and early diagnosis. Others will wait until the breast cancer diagnosis is concrete, and take things from there as both the patient and medical team decide on the best path forward.
Where can health navigators work?
Some health navigators function in a social worker capacity. Capital Breast Care Center is a health navigation program at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington D.C. focusing on impoverished women who can have a difficult time simply arriving to a screening. Tesha Coleman serves as program director for Capital Breast Care Center, and has developed a special transportation team that drives marked vans to low-income residencies, picking up women for annual mammograms. In this case, and in cases where the health navigator is involved from the very beginning, medical groups are able to focus more resources on patients who require more assistance.
Who can become a health navigator?
Because the health navigator role is a diverse and multifaceted role, there are many different types of people and industries that can perform the role. Some institutions focus on bringing in social workers, while others utilize their nurses. The Center for Cancer Health Equity at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute employs a mix of both social workers and nurses, as well as a small team of grassroots community health workers. Chastity M. Washington, program director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity, uses this mix of health navigators to tackle both community outreach and consultation at various stages of breast cancer.
Knowledge necessary for breast cancer patients
Health navigators must also be versed in administrative and logistical dilemmas that breast cancer patients face. Due to high deductible rates, many women will opt out of screening—even if they are insured. Washington says that “although many women may have insurance coverage for screening, they have these plans that they didn’t realize have really high deductibles.” In this case, Washington and other health navigators will turn towards philanthropic organizations that offer grants towards follow-up diagnostics.
Through all of these different operating roles, health navigators often maintain an overarching goal of helping patients through the fear and anxiety that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Many women believe that a breast cancer diagnosis is final, and may even reject treatment under the mistaken belief that their cancer is untreatable. In this way, a health navigator’s most critical function can be as an educator, as someone capable of teaching hope and understanding in light of a difficult situation.
Establishing a healthcare relationship
Since a health navigator can operate in a number of different fields, it is important to find one that will best suit that patient’s individual needs. Nurses who function in a health navigator capacity are better suited for actually treating the patient, and being with the patient in bedside situations. Social workers are better suited for meeting outside of the hospital, of assisting the patient in making the transition from diagnosis to treatment, and in resolving insurance and logistic issues.
For that matter, not all health navigators and health navigation programs will be based at a hospital or medical center. In some cases, it may be more beneficial to seek out health navigators in a third-party environment, where services can be received over the phone or through video conferences. Certain companies offer their services as an employee benefit, and any time a patient access the services of a registered nurse navigator, the employee’s company will cover the costs.
In all circumstances, the relationship between the patient and the health navigator often becomes one of the most trusted and beneficial relationships that a patient can have. While a majority of the research and logistic work is conducted by the health navigator, it is still up to the patient to make informed decisions about their own health and well-being. In this sense, the relationship is one of working together to address one of the more difficult circumstances that life can present.
Does everyone need a health navigator?
It is also important to note that not everyone will need or prefer the guidance of a health navigator. While all stand to benefit from the services provided, many health navigation providers understand that there are limits to the number of people and services they are able to provide. For individuals who are financially secure, educated, employed, and supported by family and friends, a health navigation program may not be necessary.
The complicated nature of the health care system means that it tends to favor those who are able to understand and navigate its channels with little to no assistance. Any disadvantage can mean the difference between receiving the proper care, or receiving any care at all. Those for whom English is a second-language, or those who do not speak or understand English are severely disadvantaged, even in the event that they have access to translators. Health navigators attempt to prevent these people from falling through the cracks, and it is these people who stand to benefit the most.
The best way to get started with a health navigation program is simply to ask. Health navigators will approach those who they feel will benefit from it the most, but they will rarely if ever turn a person down if that person expresses a desire to receive services. Having a health navigator on the team can make the entire process easier on the patient, as well as on their friends and family who will all be walking through cancer together.
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