Original Article

You have full text access to this OnlineOpen article

Using navigators to improve care of underserved patients

Current practices and approaches

  1. Daniel Dohan Ph.D.1,†,*,
  2. Deborah Schrag M.D., M.P.H.2

Article first published online: 11 JUL 2005

DOI: 10.1002/cncr.21214

Issue

Cancer

Cancer

Volume 104, Issue 4, pages 848–855, 15 August 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Dohan, D. and Schrag, D. (2005), Using navigators to improve care of underserved patients. Cancer, 104: 848–855. doi: 10.1002/cncr.21214

Author Information

  1. 1

    Institute for Health Policy Studies and Department of Anthropology, History, and Social Medicine, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California

  2. 2

    Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York

  1. †

    Fax: (415) 476-0705

*Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California–San Francisco, Box 0936, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94118

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 2 AUG 2005
  2. Article first published online: 11 JUL 2005
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 25 MAR 2005
  4. Manuscript Revised: 18 FEB 2005
  5. Manuscript Received: 18 NOV 2004

Funded by

  • Mount Zion Health Fund

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (111K)

REFERENCES

  • 1
    Nelson AR, Smedley BD, Stith AY, Institute of Medicine (United States). Committee on Understanding and Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Unequal treatment: confronting racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2003.
  • 2
    Haynes MA, Smedley BD, Institute of Medicine (United States). Committee on Cancer Research among Minorities and the Medically Underserved. The unequal burden of cancer: an assessment of NIH research and programs for ethnic minorities and the medically underserved. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999.
  • 3
    Alexander GA, Brawley OW. Prostate cancer treatment outcome in blacks and whites: a summary of the literature. Semin Urol Oncol. 1998; 16: 232–234.
  • 4
    Chu KC, Anderson WF, Fritz A, Ries LA, Brawley OW. Frequency distributions of breast cancer characteristics classified by estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status for eight racial/ethnic groups. Cancer. 2001; 92: 37–45.
    Direct Link:
  • 5
    Lannin DR, Mathews HF, Mitchell J, Swanson MS, Swanson FH, Edwards MS. Influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors on racial differences in late-stage presentation of breast cancer. JAMA. 1998; 279: 1801–1807.
  • 6
    Bach PB, Schrag D, Brawley OW, Galaznik A, Yakren S, Begg CB. Survival of blacks and whites after a cancer diagnosis. JAMA. 2002; 287: 2106–2113.
  • 7
    Richardson LC, Schulman J, Sever LE, Lee NC, Coate RJ. Early-stage breast cancer treatment among medically underserved women diagnosed in a national screening program, 1992–1995. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2001; 69: 133–142.
  • 8
    President's Cancer Panel. Report of the chairman 2000–2001. Voices of a broken system: real people, real problems. Bethesda: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 2003.
  • 9
    Breen N, Kessler LG, Brown ML. Breast cancer control among the underserved—an overview. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1996; 40: 105–115.
  • 10
    Harper AP. Mammography utilization in the poor and medically underserved. Cancer. 1993; 72(4 Suppl ): 1478–1482.
    Direct Link:
  • 11
    Richardson LC. Treatment of breast cancer in medically underserved women: a review. Breast J. 2004; 10: 2–5.
    Direct Link:
  • 12
    Wolff M, Bates T, Beck B, Young S, Ahmed SM, Maurana C. Cancer prevention in underserved African American communities: barriers and effective strategies—a review of the literature. Wisc Med J. 2003; 102: 36–40.
  • 13
    Lannin DR, Mathews HF, Mitchell J, Swanson MS. Impacting cultural attitudes in African-American women to decrease breast cancer mortality. Am J Surg. 2002; 184: 418–423.
  • 14
    Aziz NM, Rowland JH. Cancer survivorship research among ethnic minority and medically underserved groups. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2002; 29: 789–801.
  • 15
    Brown CL. Screening patterns for cervical cancer: how best to reach the unscreened population. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1996; 21: 7–11.
  • 16
    Lantz PM, Dupuis L, Reding D, Krauska M, Lappe K. Peer discussions of cancer among Hispanic migrant farm workers. Public Health Rep. 1994; 109: 512–520.
  • 17
    Lantz PM, Reding D, Perez-Stable EJ. Cancer: beliefs and attitudes of migrant Latinos. JAMA. 1994; 272: 31–32.
  • 18
    Trans-HHS Cancer Health Disparities Progress Review Group. Making cancer health disparities history. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2004.
  • 19
    Freeman HP, Muth BJ, Kerner JF. Expanding access to cancer screening and clinical follow-up among the medically underserved. Cancer Pract. 1995; 3: 19–30.
  • 20
    National Institutes of Health. Patient navigation research program. Bethesda: United States Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 2004.
  • 21
    Emerson RM, Fretz RI, Shaw LL. Writing ethnographic field notes. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1995.
  • 22
    Lofland J. Analytic ethnography: features, failings and futures. J Contemp Ethnogr. 1995; 24: 30–67.
  • 23
    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Evidence Report and Evidence-Based recommendations: cancer prevention and treatment demonstration for ethnic and racial minorities. Bethesda: United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2003.
  • 24
    Canadian Breast Cancer Initiative. Investigation and assessment of the “navigator role” in meeting the informational, decisional and educational needs of women with breast cancer in Canada. Ottawa: Public Health Agency Canada, 2002.
  • 25
    Bickell NA, Young GJ. Coordination of care for early-stage breast cancer patients. J Gen Intern Med. 2001; 16: 737–742.
    Direct Link:
  • 26
    Engelstad LP, Stewart SL, Nguyen BH, et al. Abnormal Pap smear follow-up in a high-risk population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2001; 10: 1015–1020.
  • 27
    Bird JA, McPhee SJ, Ha NT, Le B, Davis T, Jenkins CN. Opening pathways to cancer screening for Vietnamese-American women: lay health workers hold a key. Prev Med. 1998; 27: 821–829.
  • 28
    Eng E, Smith J. Natural helping functions of lay health advisors in breast cancer education. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1995; 35: 23–29.
  • 29
    Ell K, Vourlekis B, Muderspach L, et al. Abnormal cervical screen follow-up among low-income Latinas: Project SAFE. J Womens Health Gend Based Med. 2002; 11: 639–651.
  • 30
    Frelix GD, Rosenblatt R, Solomon M, Vikram B. Breast cancer screening in underserved women in the Bronx. J Natl Med Assoc. 1999; 91: 195–200.
  • 31
    Black BL, Ades TB. American Cancer Society urban demonstration projects: models for successful intervention. Semin Oncol Nurs. 1994; 10: 96–103.
  • 32
    Black BL, Schweitzer R, Dezelsky T. Report on the American Cancer Society workshop on community cancer detection, education, and prevention demonstration projects for underserved populations. CA Cancer J Clin. 1993; 43: 226–233.
    Direct Link:
  • 33
    Ell K, Padgett D, Vourlekis B, et al. Abnormal mammogram follow-up: a pilot study women with low income. Cancer Pract. 2002; 10: 130–138.
    Direct Link:
  • 34
    Hiatt RA, Pasick RJ, Stewart S, et al. Community-based cancer screening for underserved women: design and baseline findings from the Breast and Cervical Cancer Intervention Study. Prev Med. 2001; 33: 190–203.
  • 35
    Burhansstipanov L, Wound DB, Capelouto N, et al. Culturally relevant “navigator” patient support. The Native sisters. Cancer Pract. 1998; 6: 191–194.
    Direct Link:
  • 36
    Weinrich SP, Boyd MD, Weinrich M, Greene F, Reynolds WA Jr., Metlin C. Increasing prostate cancer screening in African American men with peer-educator and client-navigator interventions. J Cancer Educ. 1998; 13: 213–219.
  • 37
    Friedell GH, Rubio A, Maretzki A, et al. Community cancer control in a rural, underserved population: the Appalachian Leadership Initiative on Cancer Project. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2001; 12: 5–19.
  • 38
    Till JE. Evaluation of support groups for women with breast cancer: importance of the navigator role. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2003; 1: 16.
View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (111K)