Patient navigation is a tailored service designed to assist individuals with gaining timely and appropriate access to screening, treatment and other healthcare services by reducing individual barriers to care. They are called ‘navigators’ because they help patients to navigate the increasingly complex healthcare system. Patient navigation does not have to be delivered in-person, it can be conducted virtually or telephonically as well.
Patient navigators may have many different roles. They are sometimes also called nurse navigators, community health workers, lay health advisors, patient advocates, health care advocates, among others.
Patients who experience one or more barriers to healthcare access may be in need of patient navigation. Commonly reported barriers include time and financial restrictions.
Patient navigators perform many different services. They may help patients in scheduling healthcare visits, help patients to find a provider, help patients to understand what services their insurance covers. If a patient does not have health insurance, patient navigators can help to identify free or low cost clinics where an individual can go to access necessary screening or treatment.
Yes! Research studies have shown that patient navigation works to reduce barriers to care and get patients the timely access to healthcare that they need. Patient navigation is also cost effective—the cost associated with implementing patient navigation is less than the costs associated with treatments patients would need, had they not received navigation.